Medicare Rights Center Offers Beneficiary Perspective on Proposed Changes to Medicare Part D .Today, Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, participated in a Capitol Hill briefing on Tackling Prescription Drug Prices: An Examination of Proposed Medicare Part D Reforms. Hosted by the National Coalition on Health Care, the goal of this educational briefing was to shed light on proposed reforms to Medicare Part D, identify the trade-offs involved, and explore the impacts on Medicare beneficiaries. Other panelists included Jack Hoadley, Research Professor Emeritus, Health Policy Institute, Georgetown University; and Len Nichols, Director, Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics, George Mason University. John Rother, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care served as moderator. In his remarks, Mr. Baker
discussed the need to improve the affordability of prescription drugs for people with Medicare, citing data from the 2016 Medicare Rights Helpline Trends Report that show too many older adults and people with disabilities continue to have problems affording coverage and their prescription drugs. He also called on Congress to maintain existing policies that achieve this goal, in particular the provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 that will close the Medicare Part D donut hole one year early and provide beneficiaries in the coverage gap with a higher discount on their prescription drugs. This higher discount will allow beneficiaries who fall into the coverage gap to move through the donut hole more quickly,
lowering their out-ofpocket costs and making it easier for them to afford needed medication. On July 18, Medicare Rights sent a letter to congressional leaders, urging them to reject efforts that would roll back this progress or otherwise shift costs onto people with Medicare. Mr. Baker also examined several recent drug pricing proposals and the trade-offs associated with each. Echoing comments Medicare Rights submitted earlier this week in response to the Trump Administration’s Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs, he discussed how moving coverage of certain drugs from Medicare Part B to Part D, loosening Part D formulary standards, and requiring Part D plans to pass through rebates at the point of
sale could benefit some people with Medicare but disadvantage others. Medicare Rights appreciates the opportunity to share our experiences and perspective during today’s briefing. Looking ahead, we will continue to support efforts and advance policies to make prescription drugs more affordable that do not otherwise increase costs or reduce access to care for people with Medicare. Read our letter to Congress on the BBA of 2018’s Part D donut hole reforms. Read our comments in response to the Administration’s Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs. Read the 2016 Helpline Trends Report.
Medicare: Strong and Built to Last Medicare is an essential program that guarantees access to health care for older adults and people with disabilities. But there are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation about how the program functions, and that means too many decisions get made without adequate information. We want to be sure you have the information you need to understand how Medicare works and why it’s so important to so many people. Over the next few weeks, Medicare Rights will release a series of policy fact sheets on our Protect & Strengthen
including who uses it, why it’s important, and its financial footing. Future installments will include fact sheets on how Medicare and Medicaid work Medicare page that deal with needs and protect their welltogether, how proposals like various Medicare policy being. This includes people like raising the eligibility age or proposals, threats to Medicare Arthur, whose family was able allowing private contracting and other programs that help to buy a car once his would affect the Medicare older adults and people with grandmother was eligible for program, and how State Health disabilities, as well as Medicare, which meant he could Insurance Assistance Programs, underappreciated benefits of take on more responsibilities or SHIPs, help people with these programs. Included with and eventually go to college. Medicare better understand their many of the fact sheets are To launch our new series, we coverage options. stories from people who call our begin with “Medicare: Strong Visit www.medicarerights.o national helpline—those who and Built to Last.” This fact rg/protect to learn more. depend on the Medicare sheet gives some basic statistics program to help meet their about the Medicare program,
What’s Your Story How has Medicare, ACA help us protect and Medicaid or the Affordable strengthen the health care Care Act (ACA) helped you or programs we all rely on. your family? Your stories about the value Share Your Story today! of Medicare, Medicaid and the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans, Inc. • 94 Cleveland Street • North Providence, RI • 02904-3525 • 401-480-8381 riarajap@hotmail.com • http://www.facebook.com/groups/354516807278/