Monday, October 04, 2004

Safe and Effective Approaches to Lowering State Prescription Drug Costs: Best Practices Among State Medicaid Drug Programs
A September Centers for Medicare and Medicare Service report in Adobe Acrobat format, available at the Open Minds web site - "As a result of increasing prescription drug costs, State Medicaid programs have implemented a variety of cost-containment mechanisms in their drug programs over the past few years. These mechanisms have allowed states to reduce their pharmacy expenditures and maintain beneficiary access to a vital part of their overall healthcare. This paper describes some of these cost-containment mechanisms and highlights several states that have achieved reduced costs with each technique. In general, states have not yet taken advantage of all of these approaches. CMS can provide consultation and support to assist states in using these and other methods to lower their drug costs without compromising quality of care..."  
  

Proposed Drug Guidelines Get Negative APA Review
Psychiatric News story - "Draft model guidelines for Medicare Part D drug formularies do not adequately address clinical heterogeneity in patients with mental illness, APA says. APA added its voice to a wide-ranging chorus of dissatisfaction at a public hearing last month on the proposed framework of drug categories and classes to be covered by the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit that starts in 2006. The framework, said APA and others, is wholly inadequate to address the diverse clinical needs of a heterogeneous patient population, such as those with mental illness..."  
  

The looming national benefit crisis
USA Today feature story - "The long-term economic health of the United States is threatened by $53 trillion in government debts and liabilities that start to come due in four years when baby boomers begin to retire. ... The 'Greatest Generation' and its baby-boom children have promised themselves benefits unprecedented in size and scope. Many leading economists say that even the world's most prosperous economy cannot fulfill these promises without a crushing increase in taxes — and perhaps not even then. Neither President Bush nor John Kerry is addressing the issue in detail as they campaign for the White House. A USA TODAY analysis found that the nation's hidden debt — Americans' obligation today as taxpayers — is more than five times the $9.5 trillion they owe on mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other personaldebt. This hidden debt equals $473,456 per household, dwarfing the $84,454 each household owes in personal debt..."