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Medicare Talking Points To Congress

TALKING POINTS WITH SPECIFIC REQUESTS TO CONGRESS

PROVIDE ACCESS TO MY MEDICATION THERAPY MANAGEMENT SERVICES
SENATE MESSAGE: Thank you for recognizing the importance of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management services-what we do to help patients make the best use of their medications. But I can do more than the current legislation would authorize. I can do more to improve patient outcomes and lower overall health care costs. Please amend the legislation to include the language found in the House version.

HOUSE MESSAGE: Thank you for recognizing the importance of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management services, helping me care for my patients. To make sure that I can continue to provide these patients, please consider clarifying that these services are provided by a patient’s local pharmacist.

DISCOUNT CARD LIMITS
SENATE MESSAGE: One of the main problems with discount cards is that my patients are promised lots of savings, promises that the programs just don’t deliver. And I’m the one who has to try to explain what happened.or what didn’t. The House language tries to address this
problem by more clearly mandating that negotiated savings from manufacturers are passed on to beneficiaries. Strengthen your legislation to reflect the House language and include a requirement that the negotiated retail price includes a substantial portion of the negotiated manufacturer’s discount or rebate. And please don’t make this plan permanent-my patients are relying on having access to a full pharmacy benefit in 2006. Oppose efforts to allow the discount card to become a “fall back” plan beginning in 2006.

HOUSE MESSAGE: I appreciate your attempts to ensure that negotiated savings from manufacturers are passed on to beneficiaries-one of my biggest concerns with discount cards is that patients expect big savings but don’t get them, they just get a discount off the already narrow margin from the pharmacy. It would be a greater help to strengthen the language and include a requirement that the negotiated retail price includes at least 90% of the negotiated manufacturer’s discount or rebate. And please don’t make this plan permanent-my patients are relying on having access to a full pharmacy benefit in 2006. Oppose efforts to allow the discount card to become a “fall back” plan beginning in 2006.

PRESERVE CONSUMER CHOICE: LET ME CARE FOR MY PATIENTS
SENATE MESSAGE: Thank you for amending the legislation to address patients’ access to their pharmacy for 90-day supplies of medications. The amendment may not have gone far enough, though, if patients must pay significantly more to see the pharmacist of their choice. Please amend the legislation to allow patients a real choice.

HOUSE MESSAGE: Thank you for including language to address patients’ access to their pharmacy for 90-day supplies of medications. However, the language may not have gone far enough, though, if patients must pay significantly more to see the pharmacist of their choice. Please amend the legislation to allow patients a real choice.

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