Medicare Rights Sends Letter of Support for Medicare Prescription Drug
Savings and Choice Act of 2015
Joe Baker, President of the Medicare Rights Center, wrote this week in
support of the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2015 (S.
1884 & H.R. 3261). He commended the bill's overarching goals to simplify the
administration of Medicare Part D and to improve beneficiary experiences.
The proposed legislation would create one or more Medicare-administered
prescription drug plans, with a uniform premium and a vetted formulary
designed to ensure safety, appropriate use, and high value care. Adding a
public drug benefit to the Part D program would diminish confusion among
beneficiaries who now must navigate a complicated maze of private health
plans and year-to-year formulary changes. In addition to enhancing
beneficiary choice, a Medicare-administered plan has the potential to create
federal savings through simplified administrative procedures.
The legislation also adds to the tools available to the federal government
to control the cost of prescription drugs in Medicare. Under current law,
the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services is expressly prohibited from
negotiating Medicare prescription drug prices. Private health plans alone
bear the responsibility of negotiating with prescription drug manufacturers.
Baker writes that "authorizing the Secretary to negotiate, coupled with a
public Part D benefit, has the potential to bring down prescription drug
prices."
Medicare Right also "welcomes the opportunity created by the legislation to
improve the Medicare Part D appeals process." The letter notes that current
system is "riddled with administrative barriers that cause many people with
Medicare to forego filling needed prescriptions." Medicare Rights supports
the legislation's goal to create a streamlined, more transparent appeals
process.
