Informed Decisions Launches Program to Assist Beneficiaries With Transition to Medicare Part D
Posted on: Thursday, 14 July 2005, 12:01 CDT
Informed Decisions, a strategic health information technology services firm, has launched Beneficiary Centered Enrollment (BCE), an innovative program designed to educate Medicaid beneficiaries on their Medicare Part D options.
"Our primary focus will be providing patient-specific information during the open enrollment period, particularly for dual-eligible beneficiaries whose prescription drug benefits will transition from Medicaid to Medicare," says David Medvedeff, PharmD., MBA, president, Informed Decisions.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, approximately 43 million Americans will be offered a pharmacy benefit as part of Medicare Part D. Dual-eligible beneficiaries (6.4 million citizens nationwide) who currently receive drug benefits through Medicaid and health coverage through Medicare will be automatically and randomly enrolled in one of the approved prescription drug plans to prevent loss of coverage during the transition period.
However, because each plan will manage its own Medicare-approved pharmacy benefit, there remains the potential for an interruption of coverage if a plan's formulary does not meet the beneficiary's medication needs in a meaningful way.
"That could be problematic for this population, which consists largely of low-income seniors and individuals with serious mental illnesses. As such, dual-eligible beneficiaries are able to change from the assigned plan to one that more closely meets their needs," says Medvedeff. "That's where Informed Decisions comes in. By leveraging our technological expertise, we will provide beneficiaries with comprehensive, personalized data to help them make informed decisions regarding their drug benefits."
Working with state Medicaid departments, BCE will access historical drug utilization data and compare the benefits offered by the plans to the medications and pharmacies currently used by dual-eligible beneficiaries. A personalized "scorecard" including an alphabetical list of plans and how each matches up with individual needs will be generated and mailed to beneficiaries, providing valuable information to aid in final plan selection.
Through its website, BCE also will provide beneficiaries with plan enrollment information as well as additional information, including responses to frequently asked questions. Retail pharmacists and physicians can also utilize the BCE website to assist beneficiaries with the re-enrollment process and to provide counseling on plans at the point of care.
Partnering with Informed Decisions on BCE are the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, which represents the nation's leading retail chain pharmacies and suppliers including the operators of more than 35,000 pharmacies; the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents the nation's community pharmacists including the owners of more than 24,000 pharmacies; Eli Lilly; and AstraZeneca.
About Informed Decisions
Based in Tampa, Informed Decisions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gold Standard Inc. that provides a full array of health information technology services to healthcare interests including state governments, commercial insurance payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and professional healthcare associations. Gold Standard - http://www.goldstandard.com - is a leading developer of drug information databases, software and clinical information solutions.
Source: Business Wire
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