GOVERNMENTBrace for slew of questions about Medicare drug cardsThe government is asking doctors to help educate low-income beneficiaries about the credit they can receive to pay for their medications.By Markian Hawryluk, amednews staff. May 24/31, 2004. Washington -- As the June 1 start of the Medicare discount drug card program approaches, physicians and their staffs should prepare for a flurry of questions from patients trying to sort through the many options. Established as a precursor to a full Medicare outpatient drug benefit in 2006, the drug card program seeks to use competitive forces to lower the prices for prescription drugs. Card sponsors negotiate discounts with manufacturers through bulk purchasing and other strategies. As a result, each card will price its drug choices differently. At press time, the government had approved 72 cards. Medicare beneficiaries must choose the option that best suits their needs based on their medical conditions and the drugs they take. They might turn to their doctors for advice about how to make that decision. Physician practices can print out copies of the enrollment forms for their patients from Medicare's Web site. Doctors also can point their patients to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for help. Beneficiaries can get information on the drug cards available in their area by calling the agency's 1-800-MEDICARE hotline or by logging onto the program's Web site. Both will provide seniors with the actual prices they can expect to pay for their prescriptions. Patients can also request a personalized booklet that includes the same information. Much like the rise of direct-to-consumer advertising, the drug card program could spur more discussions between patients and doctors about medication options. That's because CMS is listing the difference in price between brand-name drugs and generics, and hopes to soon post the price differences between brand-name drugs within a class. [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2004 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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