News in brief - Sept. 6, 2004

CMS pushes for faster adoption of medical technology in Medicare - Drug benefit demo expanded - Health savings accounts poll well, insurers say

CMS pushes for faster adoption of medical technology in Medicare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is promising to make new medical devices and technology available to Medicare beneficiaries faster and more efficiently. The agency has gathered a panel of officials and experts to facilitate adoption of new technology into the program.

"CMS' Council on Technology and Innovation will work to anticipate these new technologies and create ways to make their transition to Medicare coverage as predictable and fast as possible," said the agency's administrator, Mark McClellan, MD, PhD.

Drug benefit demo expanded

A demonstration program designed to give beneficiaries with cancer and other serious illnesses early access to the Medicare drug benefit has been expanded to include a couple more drugs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced that the program would pay for Somavert for treating acromegaly and Mesnex tablets for some of the side effects of chemotherapy.

Like the other drugs included in the project, both are self-administered medications that can be prescribed in place of injectable drugs that would be covered under Medicare Part B.

"We encourage people without coverage for the drugs they need to sign up, and it's easy to do," said CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, MD, PhD.

Health savings accounts poll well, insurers say

People like the idea of health savings accounts, according to a recent survey conducted for America's Health Insurance Plans. When told about the HSA features, such as their tax-free status, the ability to roll over funds, the ability to see physicians without a referral, and the need to enroll in a high-deductible health plan, seven out of 10 people said they had a favorable opinion of the accounts.

However, less than half of the participants were familiar with HSAs before the survey. "Although HSAs are still in the earliest stages of development, many consumers clearly indicate this new approach offers new opportunities that they will closely consider," said AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni.