As we prepared for the 1/1/06 launch of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, there’s good news for 270,000 Mass. seniors because of passage of a new law yesterday (and its signing today). Here’s an update from our consumer health director Melissa Shannon:
Lt. Gov. Healey today signed our senior coalition’s bill providing emergency prescription drug access to people being switched to the Medicare Part D program on Jan 1. Yea!! While we’re going to have to push on the administration to implement this as soon as possible, this is good news for 270,000 people who are being switched overnight from state funded prescription drug coverage to Part D. Thanks to everyone in the coalition who worked so hard to get this done, especially Deb Thomson and Jessica Costantino! (Top thanks to Sen. Montigny and Dave Murphy, without whom this would not have been possible. Thanks also to several House members — Reps. DeLeo, Walrath, and Cabral and staff who worked hard to make this happen so late in the year.)
• The legislation means any dual eligible (a person receiving Medicare and Medicaid) or Prescription Advantage member who shows up at the pharmacy in the first 6 mos of 2006 and finds that their Part D plan will not pay for one or more of their medications can get a 30 day supply, paid for by the state.
• After that time, these people can get a 72 hour supply. These provisions allow the enrollee time to switch to another medication, appeal to their plan for coverage or switch plans.
• The bill requires the state to cover the difference between Medicaid co-pays and Medicare co-pays for dual eligibles to make sure co-pays don’t keep duals from getting the drugs they need.
• Finally the bill ensures that pharmacists will supply people in this situation with information on who to call to resolve coverage problems.
Great work by a great coalition and great legislative allies. You can see Melissa describing the issues on NECN’s video report titled “New Medicare Options,” here (the report isn’t 100% accurate).
