Comments on Drug Channels: New York Times editors read this blog!

The Feds already have a program in place to delive...

2006-11-16T18:51:00.000-05:00

The Feds already have a program in place to deliver prescription drugs at a very low negotiated price (in most cases their cost is well below what any medicaid program is paying) to members--it's run through the Veterans Administration and is currently only available to current and past members of the armed services and their families. An expeditious move for the Feds would be to open this program to Medicare Part D "customers".

Now, the formulary is pretty restrictive and most of the service is delivered by mail, but if you live near a military base and you don't mind the limited hours of availability and your physician is cooperative about using the drugs on the VA formulary, it may be the program for you, AND the Fed gov't wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel to start a brand new program to compete with the private sector--just use the one that's already there.

Like that'll happen.

Tom Connelly, RPh

I guess Kaiser reads this blog, too! But seriousl...

2006-11-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

I guess Kaiser reads this blog, too!

But seriously, I recognize that others may have had similar ideas. I was just surprised to read the NYT because I had not seen the idea in print before I wrote up the blog entry.

This option was also mentioned on the KFF web pres...

2006-11-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

This option was also mentioned on the KFF web presentation on Tuesday.

Ask the Experts: Open Enrollment for Medicare Part D 11/14/2006
Kaiser Family Foundation Broadcast Studio, Washington, D.C

See http://tinyurl.com/y75suy

(link was aliased to fit in this window)