Beneficiaries Will Have 20% Fewer Part D Plans To Sort Through Next Year

There will be 20 percent fewer Part D plans offered next year, due to measures in the health overhaul law that set minimum enrollment levels and require plans to have “meaningful differences,” according to CMS. Consumer advocates are pleased by the news, as they have tried since the beginning of the drug benefit to get [...]

Bipartisan bill would expand Medicare coverage for off-label drugs

Reps. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio) and Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) on Thursday proposed legislation expanding Medicare prescription drug coverage to include more off-label uses.
The bill would eliminate the current prohibition on Part D plans covering non-cancer off-label drugs when those applications are supported by peer-reviewed medical literature.
“Doctors and [...]

Pharmacist group calls on CMS to bolster e-prescribing safeguards in new ‘meaningful use’ rule

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) is calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to enhance the patient safeguards in the “meaningful use” rule unveiled by the agency Tuesday.
Doctors, for instance, should be required to perform safety checks before receiving incentive payments for e-prescribing, the group said Tuesday. Additionally, PCMA President and [...]