By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Alabama's government says it will offer financial help to about 88-thousand of the state's most needy citizens, but it's only temporary help. Medicaid Commissioner Carol Herrmann-Steckle says Governor Bob Riley has given the agency permission to temporarily cover the prescription costs for certain Medicaid participants. Some senior citizens who signed up for the Medicare Part D program have discovered that when they tried to fill prescriptions, they weren't listed in computer systems as receiving prescription drug coverage. For now, the state Medicaid Agency will cover the cost of drugs for two weeks and then conduct a review to see whether Medicare's problems have been settled. The decision could cost the state up to 15 million dollars, but Herrmann-Steckle says she doesn't think the final cost will be that high.