Expectations Shrinking for Medicare Part D Enrollment

http://www.healthcareroundtable.net

As the Medicare Part D drug benefit gets underway and the Bush Administration issues periodic reports on the progress of enrollment in the new program, there are three critical points to keep in mind:

The yardstick for measuring success has changed significantly over time;
Although many people are now counted as being enrolled, most of them already had coverage; and
The program is reaching too few of the people in greatest need of prescription drug coverage - seniors and people with disabilities who qualify for the low-income subsidy (or "Extra Help") that accompanies the Part D program.

A closer look at the facts underlying these conclusions shows that, so far, the program's performance is falling well short of expectations.

The full report is available on the Families USA Web site