Download or read book Medicare endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Small Business and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The New Medicare Drug Discount Card written by United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Aging and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Cards written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Health and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Medicare Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card Program written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 8, 2003, the President signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, P.L. 108-173). This legislation provides for the implementation of a Medicare prescription drug program, effective January 1, 2006. In the interim, MMA requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a temporary program to endorse prescription drug discount card programs meeting certain requirements. The purpose is to provide access to prescription drug discounts to persons who voluntarily enroll with a private card plan. Each card sponsor is to provide each enrollee with access to negotiated prices. The program will also provide up to $600 in transitional assistance in both 2004 and 2005 for low-income persons enrolled in endorsed card programs. All Medicare beneficiaries, except those receiving Medicaid drug coverage, are eligible to enroll in a discount card program. Card enrollees with incomes below 135% of poverty are eligible for transitional assistance provided they do not have drug coverage under a group health plan. Not all persons eligible to enroll will actually enroll in the card program. Many persons who currently have access to discount prices through other sources will likely elect not to enroll in the temporary program. An individual can be enrolled in only one card program at a time. Sponsors may charge a uniform annual enrollment fee, not to exceed $30; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, the agency administering Medicare) will pay the fee for those receiving transitional assistance. A card sponsor must be a nongovernmental single legal entity doing business in the U.S. A Medicare Advantage (MA)organization (i.e., a Medicare managed care plan) may apply to become an exclusive card sponsor by limiting enrollment to persons enrolled in its managed care plan; certain requirements otherwise applicable to card programs are waived for this group. At a minimum, card programs are required to offer a negotiated price for at least one drug in each of the 209 therapeutic categories identified by CMS on a list of medications frequently used by Medicare beneficiaries. The sponsor must contract with a sufficient number of pharmacies (other than mail-order) in its service area to ensure that access requirements are met. Several issues have been raised since the program began operating June 1, 2004. All beneficiaries not enrolled in an MA plan have a choice of at least 34 national plans; in all but nine states, beneficiaries may also select from additional regional cards. CMS has placed on its website comparative information, by zip code, on plans available in the area and plan prices for drugs specified by a senior. Many observers have stated that beneficiaries are faced with too many confusing choices. While over 4 million persons have enrolled in the program, there is concern that many persons eligible for the $600 subsidy have not yet enrolled; special education efforts are being targeted toward this population group. Some observers have also suggested that discounts may not be that much when compared with other discounts available to seniors. Two recent studies suggest that these programs do provide savings when compared with retail prices and some other discount programs. This report will be updated as events warrant.
Download or read book Private Discounts Public Subsidies written by Joseph R. Antos and published by American Enterprise Institute. This book was released on 2004 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This study documents the need for better consumer information, particularly on special discounts offered by pharmaceutical companies that can provide very generous savings to many low-income beneficiaries. The failure to make that information transparent and easy to access must be overcome if this program is to live up to its full potential."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Download or read book Medicare Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card Program written by Jennifer O'Sullivan and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Medicare Discount Drug Card written by United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Aging and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Medicare Drug Discount Card written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. Subcommittee on Health and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by Congressional Research Service: The Libr and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-10 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 8, 2003, the President signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, P.L. 108-173). This legislation provides for the implementation of a Medicare prescription drug program, effective January 1, 2006. In the interim, MMA requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a temporary program to endorse prescription drug discount card programs meeting certain requirements. The purpose is to provide access to prescription drug discounts to persons who voluntarily enroll with a private card plan. Each card sponsor is to provide each enrollee with access to negotiated prices. The program will also provide up to $600 in transitional assistance in both 2004 and 2005 for low-income persons enrolled in endorsed card programs. All Medicare beneficiaries, except those receiving Medicaid drug coverage, are eligible to enroll in a discount card program. Card enrollees with incomes below 135% of poverty are eligible for transitional assistance provided they do not have drug coverage under a group health plan. Not all persons eligible to enroll will actually enroll in the card program. Many persons who currently have access to discount prices through other sources will likely elect not to enroll in the temporary ...
Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by Congressional Research Service: The Libr and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-10 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 8, 2003, the President signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, P.L. 108-173). This legislation provides for the implementation of a Medicare prescription drug program, effective January 1, 2006. In the interim, MMA requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a temporary program to endorse prescription drug discount card programs meeting certain requirements. The purpose is to provide access to prescription drug discounts to persons who voluntarily enroll with a private card plan. Each card sponsor is to provide each enrollee with access to negotiated prices. The program will also provide up to $600 in transitional assistance in both 2004 and 2005 for low-income persons enrolled in endorsed card programs. All Medicare beneficiaries, except those receiving Medicaid drug coverage, are eligible to enroll in a discount card program. Card enrollees with incomes below 135% of poverty are eligible for transitional assistance provided they do not have drug coverage under a group health plan. Not all persons eligible to enroll will actually enroll in the card program. Many persons who currently have access to discount prices through other sources will likely elect not to enroll in the temporary ...
Download or read book Medicare drug discount card hearing before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Ways and Means U S House of Representatives One Hundred Eighth Congress second session April 1 2004 written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Beneficiary Information and Decision Supports for the Medicare Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card written by Diane Justice and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 8, 2003 the President signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, P.L. 108-173). This legislation establishes a Medicare prescription drug benefit, effective January 1, 2006. In the interim, the legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a temporary program of Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount cards. This report discusses the objectives and benefits of this legislation.
Download or read book Medicare endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Small Business and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Medicare Drug Card written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Medicare Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card Their Impact Hearing Serial No 107 33 Committee On Small Business House Of Representatives 107th Congress 1s Session written by and published by . This book was released on 2002* with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Beneficiary Information and Decision Supports for the Medicare Endorsed Prescription Drug Discount Card written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 8, 2003 the President signed into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, P.L. 108-173). This legislation establishes a Medicare prescription drug benefit, effective January 1, 2006. In the interim, the legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a temporary program of Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount cards. The program has two objectives. One is to provide access to prescription drug discounts to Medicare beneficiaries who voluntarily enroll with a private card sponsor. The second is to provide low-income beneficiaries with transitional assistance to pay for some of their prescription drug costs until 2006, when the new Medicare drug benefit begins. Despite concerted efforts by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 25% of the 7 million low-income beneficiaries who qualify for transitional assistance have enrolled in the card. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries could realize the most tangible benefit from enrolling since they would receive transitional assistance of $600 for both 2004 and 2005. Those who did not enroll in 2004 can do so by March 31, 2005 and receive the full $600 for 2005. Beneficiaries can select from 38 national discount card programs offering different prices for specific drugs, some variation in covered drugs and distinct pharmacy networks. Thus, beneficiaries have many considerations when selecting a card. To make such a choice, they first need to know the program exists. Next, they need both information to determine whether to enroll in the program and decision supports to help them select the card most suited to their own circumstances. Many of the same outreach and education methods CMS has used in the past to inform beneficiaries about new Medicare benefits are being employed and intensified for the discount drug card program. In particular, CMS has placed increased emphasis on the Internet as an information vehicle for beneficiary information. Some observers have commented that the complex decisions beneficiaries must make about program enrollment and card selection have led to confusion and inaction among older people. These factors, coupled with the approximately 70% of Medicare beneficiaries who are unable to use the Internet for any purpose, some suggest, have constrained program enrollment. CMS has improved its outreach and education strategies as it obtained more beneficiary feedback. Many acknowledge that reaching low-income people with information that would encourage their enrollment in new programs is a difficult challenge -- one faced by many governmental programs. The outreach and education experience of the discount card program can offer lessons for implementing the Medicare prescription drug benefit beginning in 2006. Then, decisions beneficiaries must make are likely to be more complex and the stakes higher for not enrolling and/or selecting a prescription drug plan that does not target an individual's needs as well as alternative plans. This report will be updated.
Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by Angeles Villarreal and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-10 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On July 12, 2001, President Bush announced a Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount card program to help seniors lower their out-of-pocket drug costs. The President stated that the discount card program would be an interim measure until a broader Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors can be created. Many seniors do not have adequate prescription drug coverage. In 1998, an estimated 10 million elderly people, or 27% of Medicare beneficiaries, did not have any form of prescription drug coverage. The Administration planned to implement the card program in January 2002, but it was put on hold because of a federal court order. Pharmacy groups successfully filed a lawsuit against CMS in 2001, asking a federal court to issue an injunction that would halt the card program on the grounds that the Administration had no statutory authority to establish the program. The Administration proceeded with plans to modify the program and use a formal rulemaking process for a new proposal. On March 6, 2002, CMS issued a proposed rule for the card program with a 60-day comment period. On August 30, 2002, CMS issued the final rule. Pharmacies continue to claim that the Administration lacks the statutory authority to implement the initiative. ...
