Patients for whom the cost of drugs is a barrier to treatment for chronic conditions have a variety of optionsų from discount card plans tied to Medicare eligibility soon to be replaced by the Medicare Part D prescription program to drug-company-sponsored prescription assistance plans. Knowing the way these plans work...
Everyone has learned a lot since Medicare Part D was started on Jan. 1. Pharmacists learned new processes, people on Medicare learned new terms and options. Insurers and the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services learned to respond quickly to misunderstandings, technical glitches, and personnel shortages. Experience with these early...
Among the sources of confusion accompanying the implementation of Medicare Part D is the distinction between drugs covered under Part B and Part D. CMS officials held a teleconference late in January to listen to provider concerns, answer questions, and correct misinterpretation. The original Medicare program was similar to employer...
Pharmacists and potential plan sponsors finally got the ground rules on how they can market Prescription Drug Plans PDPs to Medicare beneficiaries, who can begin enrolling in Part D. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the guidelines to set standards that plan sponsors must follow. The goal is...
Undoubtedly the public will be hearing much more about Medicare Part D as Prescription Drug Plans PDPs are selected and begin promoting their programs. At least one group of people with Medicare already received preliminary information in mailings from the Social Security Administration SSA: those with low incomes who may...
With Medicare Part D looming in the industry's immediate future, formulary placement is high on product managers' list of priorities. A brand's formulary status with current health plans may well affect its placement with new Medicare prescription drug plans. So the central question for pharma is: How do managed care...
The new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program created by the Medicare Modernization Act is set forth in Part D of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act and will become effective in 2006. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has published its proposed rule, consisting of over 1,300...
