WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-MD, today joined Rep. Henry Waxman, D-CA, and District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton at a special briefing held by the Government Reform Committee to examine problems with Medicare Part D implementation.  Rep. Waxman is Ranking Member of the Government Reform Committee.

Rep. Cardin declared the Medicare Part D program “both a policy and implementation failure,” and said Congress should act at once to correct serious problems that are endangering the health of thousands of seniors and persons with disabilities.

Citing the emergency actions taken by nearly two dozen states and the District of Columbia to address the serious implementation problems affecting low-income seniors, the Congressman also urged immediate passage of his legislation, the Medicare Emergency Drug Intervention Compensation Act, which will be introduced when the House convenes on Jan.  31.  The Cardin measure would reimburse states for the money they are spending to provide drugs to low-income seniors who are unable to access their promised benefits under Medicare Part D because of bureaucratic errors. The bill would require the federal government to recoup the money from private health plans, which are being paid large subsidies to offer coverage. 

The members at today’s hearing heard testimony from Medicare beneficiaries, pharmacists, state Medicaid directors, and health care analysts, who discussed the confusing array of private plans that seniors must choose from, breakdowns in the program’s implementation, and the mounting costs facing states as they intervene to help seniors receive needed medicines.     

“Seniors have many choices, but they don’t have the one choice they need -- a guaranteed   benefit, available to everyone nationwide, with premiums, copays and covered drugs that are set by law, not by private insurance companies.  Medicare Part D was supposed to help   beneficiaries, but instead it has left hundreds of thousands worse off than they were at the end of 2005,” said Cardin. “It’s time to change the law so that the program works.” 

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