23 In 2017, “Virginia,” a retiree who is enrolled in Medicare Part D, spent $1,800 of her meager annual income on numerous medications she depends on to survive. So it was a great relief when Mintz attorney Lauren Moldawer, a volunteer at Washington, DC’s annual Medicare Part D Clinic, helped her make the switch to a prescription drug plan that reduced her out-of-pocket prescription expenses to about $200 for 2018. With drug costs continuing to outpace inflation, it is increasingly important to identify ways to make medications affordable for low-income patients. Every year thousands of Americans with serious medical issues regularly endanger their health because they can’t afford to take their drugs as prescribed. To make ends meet, they reduce their medication schedules, cut their pills in half, or go without needed drugs altogether. To help the vulnerable people in its care get the medications they need at prices they can afford, Washington, DC’s Whitman-Walker Health, a nonprofit community health center, collaborates with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia (“Legal Aid”) to run the annual Medicare Part D Clinic. Since 2006, the clinic has helped thousands of beneficiaries like Virginia navigate the complex Medicare Part D prescription drug program and choose the best plans for their needs. The private prescription drug plans that offer coverage under Medicare Part D provide varying benefits and change every year, so beneficiaries who don’t evaluate their options annually can end up paying more than they should. “A drug that was covered under a plan last year may not be covered this year,” Lauren explained. Similarly, a beneficiary may need a new medication that an old plan doesn’t cover, or find that a neighborhood pharmacy in last year’s plan has been dropped. After receiving training thorough Legal Aid, Lauren and fellow Mintz attorney Sarah Beth Kuyers, along with former Mintz attorney Carrie Roll, volunteered at the clinic during the Medicare open enrollment period from October through December 2017. Last fall, Lauren and Sarah Beth assisted about a dozen clients, and they plan to volunteer during the next enrollment period, in the fall of 2018. Lauren and Sarah Beth work in Mintz’s Health Law Practice and bring considerable knowledge of Medicare requirements and health insurance plans. At Mintz, they often work with health plans on benefit design and drug coverage. In their clinic work, the attorneys see insurance from the consumer side. “It’s helpful for us to understand the landscape we’re working in,” Lauren said. Lauren’s client Virginia, who was a clinic first-timer, was thrilled with Lauren’s assistance. “She was so excited that I was there to help, and really thankful,” Lauren said. Knowledgeable Guidance for Critical Health Care Decisions “Many of the clinic’s clients have very little disposable income. It’s gratifying to know that our efforts to save them money can reduce their stress, and might even save a client’s life.” Sarah Beth Kuyers Attorney Mintz Health Law Practice