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Medicare Drug Program News
Medicare Launches Online Tools to Better Compare
Prescription Drug Plans
 Website also includes tool that addresses the
"doughnut hole" coverage gap
Nov. 15, 2007 - The open enrollment period for the
Medicare prescription drug benefit began on Thursday, and
CMS has established a new online tool to help with the comparison of
plans, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The tool, which appears on the
Medicare.gov Web site, allows users to enter the list of medications
that Medicare beneficiaries currently take to determine the amount that
each prescription drug plan charges for premiums, copayments and
deductibles.
In addition, the tool allows users to compare
Medicare prescription drug plans based on customer service and other
areas. The tool also allows users to compare Medicare Advantage plans
based on overall quality, disease management, access to physicians and
other areas.
The tool is part of Medicare Path Finder,
which also appears on the Web site and allows users to compare
prescription drug plans based on out-of-pocket costs and pharmacy
networks. The Website also includes a tool that addresses the so-called
"doughnut hole" coverage gap in the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Acting CMS Administrator Kerry Weems said of the
new tool, "This is really moving into consumer-driven health care."
Tricia Neuman, a Kaiser Family Foundation vice
president and director of the
Medicare Policy Project at the foundation, said that the tool in
large part will help health insurance counselors, family members and
others because many Medicare beneficiaries do not use the Internet or
e-mail (Zhang, Wall Street Journal, 11/15).
Broadcast Coverage
>> NPR's
"Morning
Edition" on Thursday reported on efforts to help Medicare
beneficiaries determine whether they should switch prescription drug
plans during the open enrollment period. The segment includes comments
from Leta Blank, head of the Montgomery County, Md.,
Senior Health Insurance Program; Neuman; Kevin Prindiville, a staff
attorney at the
National Senior Citizens Law Center; and a Medicare beneficiary (Rovner,
"Morning Edition," NPR, 11/15).
Audio and a partial transcript of the segment are
available
online.
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