AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
Patients, physicians struggle with Part D rollout.(Practice Trends)
As Medicare beneficiaries grapple with the new prescription drug benefit that went into effect on Jan. 1, physicians report that they are spending valuable clinical time explaining the benefit, rewriting prescriptions, and navigating drug company Web sites.
"It's taking up a disproportionate amount of our time," said Dr. Maurice Wright, medical director and staff internist of the So Others Might Eat Medical Clinic in Washington, a group that provides primary care services to needy patients, including Medicare beneficiaries.
Physicians weren't armed with the necessary information to properly advise patients about the new Medicare Part D benefit, Dr. Wright said.
And even after exploring the Medicare and drug plan Web sites, Dr. Wright said he still has unanswered questions about how to help his low-income Medicare patients apply for the "extra help" subsidy.
That low-income subsidy is especially important for his Medicare patients who do not qualify for Medicaid, he said. And without information about how to enroll, they can't choose a drug plan because they don't know how much it will cost, he said.
Dr. Wright has also noted problems among his patients who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. These patients were automatically enrolled in a Part D drug plan before the beginning of the year.
But some technical glitches in transmitting that enrollment information from Medicare to the drug plans means that for some patients there is either no record of their enrollment when they show up at the pharmacy or they are asked to pay higher prices.
- New Medicare prescription drug plan called 'too expensive'.
- Newspaper article from: Savannah Morning News (Savannah, GA) September 20, 2005 700+ words
...type of reaction to the Medicare drug plan is why Kingston, who supported...choose not to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. However, Tomat may be...2006. Or he could join a Medicare prescription drug plan in addition to his current...
- Choosing a Medicare Drug Plan More of a Challenge for Seniors than Using One.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire February 23, 2006 700+ words
...percent of seniors enrolled in a Medicare drug plan agree that they've had difficulty...seniors who have enrolled in a Medicare drug plan somewhat or strongly agree...who are already enrolled in a Medicare drug plan. Fewer seniors say the cost...
- Medicare drug plan brings benefits, headaches, druggists say.
- News wire article from: Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, IN) September 15, 2006 700+ words
...or lower payments from the Medicare drug plan than what they would receive from commercial payers. The Medicare drug plan is administered through multiple...percent of doctors saying the Medicare drug plan has helped seniors but 92 percent...
- U.S. seniors navigating new Medicare prescription drug plan: some beneficiaries...
- Magazine article from: The Nation's Health Krisberg, Kim August 1, 2006 700+ words
...reality. May 15 was the deadline for Medicare beneficiaries to pick and enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan--a decision most beneficiaries...prescription drug needs--but do under the Medicare drug plan, Stein said, adding that in some...
- Study surveys large firms about new Medicare drug plan.
- Newspaper article from: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, GA) December 8, 2005 700+ words
...next year as part of the new Medicare drug plan, a survey released Wednesday...large companies about the new Medicare drug plan that begins next month and...Kaiser. As part of the new Medicare drug plan, the government will subsidize...
- Medicare Drug Plan Available Soon.
- Magazine article from: Kiplinger's Ask Kim Web Column April 28, 2005 700+ words
...soon? Yes, the new medicare prescription drug plan will still become available...have a prescription drug plan that's considered better than medicare Part D, which includes...help pay some of the medicare drug plan premiums and deductibles...
- Question and Answers: New Medicare drug plan requires some research.
- Newspaper article from: Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News) October 17, 2005 700+ words
...or both of them enroll in a Medicare drug plan. Her employer's choice to...coverage to those enrolled in the Medicare drug plan is made by her employer voluntarily...or both of them enroll in a Medicare drug plan. Employers are not required...
- New Medicare drug plan failing many low-income people.
- Newspaper article from: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News) January 17, 2006 700+ words
...are not covered by the new drug plan Medicare assigned to them. Others...spent hours on the phone with Medicare officials or drug plan staffers trying to prove...said. Feedback about the Medicare drug plan has been very positive so...
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Approves ``Sterling Retiree...
- Press release article from: Business Wire October 4, 2005 700+ words
...approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...employer Prescription Drug Plan (PDP). An agency...CMS administers the Medicare program. The approval...Retiree Prescription Drug Plan" to provide seamless...drug coverage under Medicare D coupled with a supplement...
- Evidence that only 20% of Seniors Expect to Enroll in a Prescription Drug Plan,...
- Press release article from: Business Wire April 5, 2006 700+ words
...prescription drug plan organizations...plans, and Medicare Advantage drug...Enrollment in Medicare Part D --Prescription Drug Plan Designs...Stakeholders --Medicare Beneficiaries...Prescription Drug Plan Organizations...
Source: HighBeam Research, Patients, physicians struggle with Part D rollout.(Practice Trends)