Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Senior group also not thrilled with Part D in general.

Yet another patient-advocacy group has slammed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' new online "Plan Finder," charging that the tool--and the new Medicare prescription drug program itself--is too complicated for seniors.

Medicare Part D offers too many choices without enough clear information, Families USA alleges in a Nov. 15 statement. Depending on Medicare benes' locations, they will need to choose from up to 52 different prescription drug plans, the consumer group says. And this figure doesn't include Medicare Advantage plans.
 
"It is clear that seniors will have a very difficult time wading through the fine print among dozens of plans," Families USA executive director Ron Pollack notes.

Further, the group balks at CMS' Plan Finder, calling it a "confusing and complicated tool." An Internet tool isn't appropriate for seniors, because 76 percent of seniors have never been online, 26 percent of Medicare benes have cognitive impairments, more than 3 million seniors have visual impairments and 2.3 million Medicare benes reside in nursing homes, Families USA points out.

Part D plans vary greatly in costs of premiums, annual deductibles, co-payments and prescription drugs--even for plans within the same region, the group notes. And benes who are eligible for low-income assistance must apply for it through a separate process in addition to choosing a plan.