By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Medicare Part D is confusing enough.

So in an effort to help simplify the newest federal prescription plan, Retirement Living TV has produced a video guide to help answer the most frequent questions about the subject.

Retirement Living TV and Erickson Retirement Communities partnered with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to produce an informational program to help clarify Medicare Part D. The program explains the new prescription plan in simple, straightforward language and is available to the public in DVD format for free.

“It’s an exceptionally useful tool for anyone who has struggled with deciphering this new prescription plan,” founder and CEO of Erickson Retirement Communities John Erickson said. “It was a great opportunity for us to be able to partner with the people at Medicare and produce something everyone can use. If you have any questions on Medicare Part D, this is an easy way to get your questions answered.”

To tackle the task, the program features expert Leslie Norwalk, the deputy administrator for Medicare services under President Bush, to answer questions. An authority on Medicare, she directs the complex and demanding task of implementing the hundreds of changes to be made under the Medicare Modernization Act. She also directs the day-to-day operations of Medicare.

“To answer tough questions, you need an expert, and Ms. Norwalk is the best,” Dan Rexford, executive vice president for Erickson, said. “She makes all of the most difficult topics easy to understand.”

“We wanted to address all of the concerns our viewers might have about the complexity of this topic,” Ed Beimfohr, vice president with Retirement Living TV, said. “This is something that affects so many people throughout the country. The programming is geared to those who enrolled in the program or who simply want more information about it.”

The programs originally aired in November and December 2006 as a series on Retirement Living TV and the DVD is now available for free by calling 1-800-R-LIVING (1-800- 754-8464).