Friday, 20 January 2006
Feds Admit Medicare Part D’s Flaws, Propose Solutions
Just weeks after the official launch of the new Medicare prescription benefit (known as Medicare Part D), Health & Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told reporters that the government will address the flaws plaguing the program nationwide, reports the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Since Medicare Part D went into effect on January 1, enrollees have been having difficulties accessing their drugs. Some of the new efforts include bringing on 4,350 more telephone operators to bail out overworked pharmacies across the country, and instructing insurance carriers to provide 30-days worth of prescription coverage for all beneficiaries.
States that have been covering emergency prescription costs during the confusion are out of luck when it comes to federal reimbursement. Described as a “bureaucratic nightmare”, the unanticipated costs of Medicare Part D for states could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
For the full story, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation online.
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