Medicare Part D – A Beacon or a Warning Light?

June 10, 2015

The latest event in our symposia series marking the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. Top experts discussing the competitive dynamics in Part D, trends effecting future cost control, and ways to improve how the program helps beneficiaries manage care for chronic illness.

Medicare Part D – A Beacon or a Warning Light?
The Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Part D Program After 10 Years

Over its first 50 years, Medicare has evolved from a comparatively simple program that reimbursed hospitals and physicians using existing Blue Cross-Blue Shield plans to administer claims, to a multi-faceted program encompassing a wide range of payment approaches. The addition of Parts C and D to the Medicare program enabled the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to incorporate the idea of competitive contracting with private entities to organize and manage comprehensive health care and to purchase pharmaceuticals.

Now, as we celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Medicare, and Part D prepares to enter its second decade, there is an opportunity to better understand the success and limitations of Medicare outpatient drug coverage, the unique approach that was taken to coverage and competition, and the value of this experience as a model for Medicare and other health insurance coverage in the future. Is Medicare Part D a beacon for a future Medicare program with competing health plans, or a warning light for the dangers of relying on private entities to achieve a public purpose?

The Academy’s latest event in our symposia series marking the 50^th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid began with a keynote address by Mark McClellan, MD, followed by two panel of experts:

Panel 1: Discussion on Competitive Dynamics in Part D and Trends Effecting Future Cost Control

• Julie Goon, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Anthem Inc.
• Kristin Bass, Senior Vice President, Policy and Federal Affairs, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association
• Lori Reilly, Executive Vice President, PhRMA
• Howard Bedlin, Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy, National Council on Aging
• Jack Hoadley, Research Professor, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
• Michael McCaughan, founding member, Prevision Policy LLC and editor, The RPM Report

Panel 2: Managing Care for Chronic Illness

• A. Mark Fendrick, Professor of Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine and of Health Management in the School of Public Health, University of Michigan
• Bruce Stuart, Professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and Director, Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging, University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Leigh Purvis, Director, Health Services Reseach, AARP’s Public Policy Institute
• Kim Swiger, Vice President Clinical Product Marketing, Mirixa Corporation
• Jennifer Bryant, Senior Vice President, Policy and Research, PhRMA
• Dan Leonard, President, National Pharmaceutical Council

This symposium was co-sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc.

Throughout 2015, the National Academy of Social Insurance is commemorating the 50^th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid with a series of special activities, including this symposium. Working with a variety of partners, the Academy is committed to providing the public and the policy community with a platform for educational dialogue around the history and future of these two vital programs. Learn more about the Academy’s celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, and stay tuned for additional events.

The Academy’s Medicare and Medicaid at 50 and Beyond Celebration Program
is made possible thanks to support from

​and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President’s Grant Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation.