Prescription Drug Coverage And Seniors: Findings From A 2003 National Survey Where do things stand on the eve of implementing the new Medicare Part D benefit?

Beginning in 2006 the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Mod- ernization Act (MMA) will offer pharmacy benefits to forty-two million Medicare beneficia- ries nationwide. In a 2003 national survey of Medicare beneficiaries age sixty-five and older, more than one-quarter reported no prescription coverage, and nearly half of low-in- come seniors in some states lacked coverage. Wide coverage differences among states highlight implementation challenges and the need for tailored enrollment strategies. Evi- dence of Medicaid's highly effective coverage delineates the importance of assuring this group's continued protection under Part D plans. Reports of complex drug regimens, multi- ple prescribing physicians and pharmacies, nonadherence, and reimportation demonstrate the challenges of integrating seniors' prescription care. We discuss MMA's potential to im- prove quality and the need to monitor performance.