Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Drug benefits are trending upward

Community pharmacists and consumer advocates are watching carefully as Medicare Part D rolls toward its third benefit year.

Here's how Medicare's drug benefit for 2008 stacks up to last year's version:

Initial deductible: Up, from $265 in 2007 to $275 in 2008

Initial coverage limit: Up, from $2,400 in 2007 to $2,510 in 2008

Out-of-pocket threshold: Up, from $3,850 in 2007 to $4,050 in 2008

Minimum cost-sharing in the catastrophic coverage portion of the benefit: Up slightly, from $2.15 for a generic or a preferred drug that is a multi-source drug and $5.35 for all other drugs in 2007 to $2.25 for generics and $5.60 for other drugs in 2008

Maximum co-payments below the out-of-pocket threshold for certain low-income full subsidy eligible enrollees: Up slightly, from $2.15 for generic or preferred drug that is a multi-source drug and $5.35 for all other drugs in 2007 to $2.25 for generics and $5.60 for other drugs in 2008.

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.