Group Asks CMS To Address Issues With Medicare Drug Benefit
The Senior Citizen's Law Center on behalf of 45 health advocacy groups nationwide on Wednesday sent a letter to CMS Administrator Mark McClellan asking the agency to address 18 alleged problems with the Medicare drug benefit immediately, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Many dual eligibles are having difficulty finding which plan they are enrolled in, "apparently because they have not been enrolled properly," the Union-Tribune reports. In addition, advocates, physicians and pharmacists said that many companies' formularies are inadequate and that "it's virtually impossible to obtain an exception" to coverage guidelines even in an emergency situation, according to the Union-Tribune.
Jeanne Finberg, director of SCLC in Oakland, has called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to have the state pay for prescription drugs for dual eligibles who are having difficulty with the new system (Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/12).
Additional information about the Medicare drug benefit is available online.