Content about Medicare

MINNETONKA, Minn. — Could the economy and the bare-knuckles competition that now defines pharmacy retailing lower the price bar even further for widely used generic drugs? It’s already happening.


ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Independent and chain pharmacy groups are making a new push to stake a firm claim to the new healthcare system emerging with the health-reform law enacted earlier this year.

Weighing in on a major aspect of the new law, the independent pharmacy lobby is urging federal health officials to untangle government red tape that could prevent pharmacies from fully participating in newly created health-provider organizations.

MINNETONKA, Minn. — UnitedHealth Group will start a program next year that it said can reduce drug costs to as low as $2 per script, the company said Tuesday.

The program, Pharmacy Saver, will be available to Medicare Part D members and is a collaboration with Kroger, Safeway and Prescription Solutions. The program will allow members to purchase some scripts for $2 for 30- and some 90-day supplies and applies to hundreds of prescription drugs, including 8-of-the-10 most commonly used by UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan members.

BALTIMORE — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Tuesday formally established the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Established by the Affordable Care Act, the Innovation Center is charged with finding new ways of delivering health care and paying healthcare providers in an effort to save money for Medicare and Medicaid while improving the quality of care. CMS also announced the launch of new demonstration projects that will support efforts to better coordinate care and improve health outcomes for patients.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Humana and Wal-Mart Stores on Monday announced that Mary Lee Reinscheld became the first Medicare beneficiary to sign up for the new Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan at one of the Humana informational kiosks available in approximately 3,000 Walmart stores nationwide.

Reinscheld signed her Humana application at Walmart store No. 1170 here as the annual enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries, including seniors and people with disabilities, got under way.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Retail pharmacies scored a big victory in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule, which puts the kibosh on pricing policies that would have severely affected retail pharmacies' ability to make money from generic drugs, and thus forced them to turn away Medicaid patients.

CAMP HILL, Pa. Rite Aid on Wednesday announced its pharmacists have been prepared to assist seniors during the 2011 Medicare Part D open enrollment period. With the first of the baby boomers officially turning 65 years old in 2011, more seniors are expected to hit drug stores looking for information about Part D options and open enrollment.

Open enrollment begins on Nov. 15.

CHICAGO The Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association and Michael Maves, AMA EVP and CEO, have mutually decided that Maves will complete his leadership of the AMA when his current contract ends June 30, 2011.

NEW YORK The DR Doctor On-Premises Walk-In Medical Care clinics, which are located within select Duane Reade stores and are managed by Consumer Health Services, now will accept Medicare.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT A plan by health insurer Humana and Walmart to offer a cheap prescription drug plan to seniors who shop at the mass merchandiser may be a little off the mark, if results of the survey of Medicare beneficiaries is to be believed.

(THE NEWS: Many seniors are satisfied with Medicare Rx benefit, survey shows. For the full story, click here)