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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 18, 2004

Contact: CMS Public Affairs
(202) 690-6145

HHS Announces Appointments to New Commission on Needs of the Low-Income in the New Medicare Drug Benefit

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced the appointment of 24 members to serve on the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Transition Commission (SPATC).  The commission was mandated by the new Medicare reform law to assure that low-income Medicare beneficiaries who now get their drugs through state-sponsored programs will not see their benefits reduced or their paperwork increased.

“We want to make sure people who now rely on state programs to help with prescription drugs will continue to get the help they need under the new Medicare benefit,” Secretary Thompson said. “The work of the new commission will go a long way toward meeting that goal.”

The new commission will develop legislative and administrative proposals aimed at easing the transition of low-income Medicare beneficiaries from state pharmaceutical assistance programs (SPAPs) to the new Medicare drug benefit in 2006.  A report from the group is due to the President and Congress in January 2005.

The commission will hold its first meeting in Washington on July 7 at the Holiday Inn, 415 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington D.C., from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The commission will address such issues as how to design the transition so that it is the “least disruptive” for beneficiaries, how states can develop a single point of contact for enrolling and claims processing for the new Medicare Part D, and how states can “wrap around” the new benefit by paying low-income enrollees’ deductibles, copayments and drug costs once an enrollee reached the Part D benefit threshold.

HHS and CMS officials selected commission members based on nominations received in response to a public notice published February 27 in the Federal Register.

Joan Henneberry, director of consulting and research at Policy Studies, Inc., of Denver, has been chosen as commission chairperson. 

Other new commission members are:

Clifford E. Barnes, Esq., Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., Washington, D.C.

Clifford Barnes has been a shareholder of Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. since 1990 and is a member of the National Health Law Practice in the Washington and New York offices. He represents health maintenance organizations and heads the Medicaid Managed Care subgroup in the DC office.  He serves on the board of National Association of Health Services Executives and the National Association of Urban-Based Health Maintenance Organizations.

Donna A. Boswell, Ph.D., J.D., partner, Hogan & Hartson, LLP, Washington, D.C.

As a health lawyer, Donna Boswell represents pharmaceutical companies.  She advises clients on state policy and legislative issues related to the accessibility of prescription drugs under Medicaid and state-funded pharmaceutical assistance programs.  Before joining Hogan & Hartson, Ms. Boswell was a college professor at Wesleyan University.  She also served as a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate and as a congressional fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Society for Research in Child Development.

James Chase, director, health care purchasing, Minnesota Department of Human Services, St. Paul, Minn.

James Chase is the director of health care purchasing for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.  His responsibilities include management of the state pharmacy programs for Medicaid, MinnesotaCare and the Minnesota Prescription Drug Program.  He has over 20 years of health care management experience, including eight years with the Minnesota Department of Human Services and 12 years with private health plans and provider organizations.

David L. Clark, R.Ph., M.B.A., vice president, pharmacy services, The Regence Group, Portland, Ore.

David Clark is the vice president for pharmacy services with The Regence Group, a company with health plans in Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho, serving 3 million subscribers.  The Regence Group also provides pharmacy benefit management support to BCBS of Michigan.  His responsibilities include overseeing all pharmacy-related services including formulary activities, P&T Committees, product reviews, contracting, and benefit design.   Prior to joining The Regence Group, Clarke was director of pharmacy services for Intermountain Health Care in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Jay D. Currie, Pharm.D., associate professor (clinical), division of clinical and administrative pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Jay Currie serves as an associate professor (clinical) in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since 1997.  In addition, he is the co-director for education in the Center to Improve Medication Use in the Community.  He served on the executive committee of the Iowa Geriatric Education Center.  He also worked as a pharmacist for a number of years.

Barbara Edwards, deputy director, Office of Ohio Health Plans, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Columbus, Ohio.

Barbara Edwards has served as Ohio’s Medicaid Director since 1997.  She is responsible for the management and oversight of Ohio’s Medicaid Health Plan, as well as Ohio’s Title XXI Children’s Health Insurance Plan and Ohio’s Disability Assistance/Medical Plan.  Prior to joining the Medicaid program, Ms. Edwards was project manager of the Medical Cost Containment Council at Nationwide Insurance and served as chief of health policy at the Ohio Department of Health.

Nora Dowd Eisenhower, J.D., secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Harrisburg, Pa.

Nora Dowd Eisenhower is the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and manages an extensive network of services through a statewide system of 52 Area Agencies on Aging.  Ms. Eisenhower has directed programs for the elderly for over 15 years.  Prior to joining the Department of Aging, she served as the AARP executive director for Pennsylvania.  She served for six years as Pennsylvania’s deputy attorney general in the Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Janice O. Faiks, J.D., assistant general counsel, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Washington, D.C.

Janice O. Faiks serves as assistant general counsel for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.  She also served as vice president of the National Center for Policy Analysis as well as the Hannaford Company.  She served in a variety of federal positions, including the deputy assistant secretary for mine safety and health at the Department of Labor.  She served in the Alaska State Senate, including tenures as the President of the Senate and the Judiciary Committee Chairman.

Dr. Dewey D. Garner, chair and professor of pharmacy administration, University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, University, Miss.

Dr. Dewey Garner is chair and professor of pharmacy administration at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.  He has been chair since 1992, and has served as a professor at the university since 1971.  Prior to joining the university, Dr. Garner served on the faculty at the University of Houston.  He has practiced pharmacy since 1964.  He has served as chair of a number of national pharmacy organizations.  He also served as a member of the Mississippi Medicaid Commission’s Technical Advisory Committee on Drugs for 15 years.

Karen Greenrose, R.N., president, American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations, Borden, Ind.

Karen Greenrose serves as president of the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO); a position she has held since 1999.  She is responsible for advancing AAPPO’s mission and provides strategic leadership in all aspects of Association management.  She has served in senior leadership positions for a number of private companies, including Preferred Plan, Takecare Indiana HMO, HealthPlus, Lincoln National Life Insurance, Employers Health Insurance, Blue Cross of California, and American Medical International. 

Joan F. Henneberry (chairperson), director, consulting and research, Policy Studies, Inc., Denver, Colo.

Joan Henneberry currently serves as director of consulting and research in the government health services area of Policy Studies, Inc. (PSI).  Prior to joining PSI, she served as deputy director, and director, of the Health Policy Studies Division, Center for Best Practices at the National Governors Association (NGA).  Before joining NGA, Ms. Henneberry served a number of years with the Colorado Department of Health. 

Laurie Hines, J.D., executive director, Missouri Senior Rx Program, Jefferson City, Mo.

Laurie Hines currently serves as the executive director of the Missouri Senior Rx Program.  She has served in a variety of positions with state government for the past seven years, including legal and program areas.  She was an associate with a law firm in which she represented clients before the Social Security Administration, and clerked for the Missouri Supreme Court.

Joseph B. Kelley, vice president of government and public affairs, Eli Lilly and Company, Washington, D.C.

Joseph Kelley serves as vice president of government and public affairs for Eli Lilly and Company.  He has been with the company since 1994, serving in various managerial positions.  He also served as chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s State Government Affairs Division for two years.  Prior to joining Lilly, he served as assistant director, state government affairs, for W.R. Grace & Company for five years.

Mary Liveratti, deputy director, Nevada Department of Human Resources, Carson City, Nev.

Mary Liveratti serves as the deputy director of the Department of Human Resources.  In this capacity, she is responsible for oversight of the Nevada Senior Rx Program and the Office of Disability Services.  She worked for 23 years in Nevada’s Division for Aging Services, serving as the administrator of that division from 1999 to 2003.  She has served as a member for a number of health-related boards and committees, including five years on the Nevada Commission on Aging.

Dr. Anne Marie Murphy, administrator of medical programs, Illinois Department of Public Aid, Springfield, Ill.

Dr. Anne Marie Murphy serves as the administrator of medical programs in Illinois.  In this capacity, she directs Illinois’ Medicaid program, which serves over 1.7 million people and has a budget of over $10 billion in fiscal year 2004.  Prior to taking her current position, she served as senior health care policy advisor for Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL).  She also served on staff of the Health, Education and Labor Committee for Senator Paul Simon (D-IL) and Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). 

Julie A. Naglieri, director, New York State Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program, New York, N.Y.

Julie Naglieri has served as the director of New York’s EPIC program since 1998.  EPIC is the largest state pharmaceutical assistance program in the nation.  She has been with EPIC since the inception of the program in 1987, serving in a variety of capacities.  Her entire professional career has been dedicated to the public service of New York State, beginning with the Office of the State Comptroller in 1972.

Dennis R. O’Dell, senior vice president, health services, Walgreen Co., Deerfield, Ill.

Dennis O’Dell was named senior vice president of health services this year after serving as corporate vice president, health services for four years.  He began his service to Walgreens in 1968 as a service clerk.  He has served in various capacities there including director of third party operations and divisional merchandise manager, pharmacy.  He holds a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Tennessee.

Robert P. Power, M.B.A., C.B.E.S., senior director/senior medical economist, HealthPartners, Bloomington, Minn.

Robert Power has served as a senior director/senior medical economist with HealthPartners, Inc. since 1991.  In this capacity, he serves as an internal consultant for public policy issues such as risk adjustment involving quantitative and data-handling issues.  He provides expertise on risk-based financing for Medicare and Medicaid, tracking revenues of approximately $300 million per year.  Prior to joining HealthPartners, Mr. Power worked for two private health companies.  He currently serves on two health care-related panels.

Susan C. Reinhard, R.N., Ph.D., deputy commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Trenton, N.J.

Dr. Reinhard serves as New Jersey’s deputy commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services.  In this capacity, she directs state policy, programs, and financing for all services for older adults.  She administers the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) Program, one of the most generous state-funded pharmaceutical programs for older adults and people with disabilities in the country.  She co-directs the Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers University.  She has chaired or participated in a number of different advisory committees.  She has had dozens of articles, book chapters and reports on research, health policy and practice published, as well as delivering hundreds of papers, keynote addresses and panel discussions on health, healthcare policy, aging, disability and nursing topics.

Sybil M. Richard, J.D., M.H.A., R.Ph., bureau chief, Florida Medicaid Pharmacy Services, Tallahassee, Fla.

Sybil Richard recently accepted the position of bureau chief for Florida Medicaid Pharmacy Services.  She served as the director of policy and programs at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores since 2001.  In this capacity, she was responsible for the development and implementation of federal and state legislative and regulatory policy related to the Medicare, Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs that affect the retail chain community pharmacy industry.

Elizabeth J. Rohn-Nelson, Dallas, Texas

Elizabeth Rohn-Nelson has served in a variety of organizations and committees.  Her experience includes tenures at the United Way, the United Seniors Association, Inc., the Eagle Forum, and the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution.  She directed the “Bells Across America” project.  She also served as the deputy director and director of intergovernmental and congressional affairs at the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. 

Marc S. Ryan, M.P.A., secretary, State Office of Policy and Management, Hartford, Conn.

Marc Ryan has served as the secretary of the State Office of Policy and Management (OPM) since 1998.  Before that, he held a variety of appointed positions in the Rowland Administration.  He specializes in budgeting, policy and planning for the state’s human services agencies.  He has played a role in the state’s welfare reform and managed care initiatives.  He also led the joint team that crafted the state’s new children’s health insurance program.

Linda J. Schofield, B.S.N., M.P.H., Schofield Consulting, Simsbury, Conn.

Linda Schofield consults on managed care and health care with a variety of organizations through her company, Schofield Consulting.  Her clients include the National Pharmaceutical Council, health plans, providers, trade associations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, government agencies, and charitable foundations.  She served as State Medicaid Director for Connecticut for six years.  She also worked as an executive in the insurance industry for nine years. 

Martin Schuh, M.B.A., ACS State Healthcare, Atlanta, Ga.

Martin Schuh serves in external affairs at ACS State Healthcare.  In this capacity, he represents ACS to specific audiences who would have potential interests in the firm, and he administers documentation and contract negotiations for additional services for new customers.  Prior to joining ACS, he served for five years as a contract manager with Uniprise Disease Management.

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Last Revised: June 18, 2004

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