Departmental News

Medicare prescription education effort earns UW extension team national honor

            University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) educators were part of a five-state team that earned a national health award for helping thousands reduce their prescription drug costs by providing Medicare-approved Prescription Drug Discount Card education and enrollment during 2005.

            Their efforts earned the Jeanne M. Priester Health Award at the 2006 National Priester Health Conference in Louisville, Ky., in April. The award honors extension programs that positively affect the health of people and provide leadership to expand extension’s capacity to effectively implement health programs. Only one award is given each year.

            “I am proud of the rapid response the Nutrition and Food Safety Initiative Team educators gave to this project,” said Ruth Wilson, CES associate director in the UW College of Agriculture. “This worthwhile endeavor was in addition to their other programming. Being selected as the top in the nation is a wonderful achievement.”

            The Wyoming educators were among a team from Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota that partnered to provide the information and helped sign those eligible to the program. The potential savings may be more than $1.5 million, said Phyllis Lewis, UW CES educator for Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties.

            Between Nov. 1, 2004, and July 28, 2005, at least 46,571 Medicare recipients in these states enrolled for the Medicare-approved drug cards, according to Lewis.

            Other Wyoming team members and their areas were Vicki Hayman, Campbell, Crook, and Weston counties; Virginia Romero-Caron, formerly of Uinta and Sweetwater counties; Christine Pasley, Platte, Goshen, and Laramie counties; Stella McKinstry, Lincoln, Sublette, and Teton counties; Denise Smith, Converse, Natrona and Niobrara counties; Patti Griffith, Fremont/Wind River area; and Wilson.

            Wyoming educators described one resident with a $1,200-a-month income who reduced per-month spending on prescriptions from $700 to $300, and another reduced spending from $250 to $7. The cost of a cancer drug dropped from $2,578-per-month for one resident to $60 after enrolling in the Medicare drug plan.

            The seven Wyoming nutrition and food safety educators and Wilson were originally involved. CES community development educators then joined, helping disseminate information.

            On the Web: http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/priester/award.htm

            http://www.uwyo.edu/UWces/

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