Medicare’s new preventive services are not as popular as CMS would like which has sparked intensification of efforts in providing preventive care to all Medicare patients through a “word of mouth” and media campaign, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebeliusannounced in a news conference Monday.
"Our job is to make sure every single Medicare beneficiary knows about and takes advantage of these benefits,” said Sebelius.
The multi-pronged approach aims to increase preventive care participation, which is currently seeing less than 20% participation, through increased awareness of availability of services via media and the provider-patient discussions.
“Having people pay for prevention services keeps them from getting them,” said CMS’ administrator Donald Berwick, M.D., who attributed the low numbers to providers and patients not being aware of the programs.
The campaign, entitled "Share the News, Share the Health", will run ads via the web, television and radio touting the new free preventive services (with no co-pay). You can check out one of Medicare’s TV ads here.