Hello to you Miss KJ. I have to admit that your article on the roles that the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services (CMS) plays in ensuring that the well-being of the seniors in the country is quite a masterpiece. I would particularly like to respond to the portion in which you have talked about the benefits of Medicaid services regarding prescription drugs. The part I will answer to is “The Affordable Care Act also impacts Medicare beneficiaries, as seniors who reach the donut hole or coverage gap in Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, will continue to receive discounts and pay an increasingly smaller portion of prescription costs until 2020” (CMS).
I agree with this statement since according to the CMS, the MMA Act promulgated in 2003 provides a laid down framework under which all stakeholders involved in the payment of prescription drugs are supposed to follow when serving the citizenry. The individuals participating in this process include the insurers, state programs, and employers who need to work hand in hand in seeing to it that the beneficiaries of Medicaid coverage can benefit from inexpensive prescription drugs (CMS). This strategy has been made possible by the CMS laying down plans which will see prescription drug providers like the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (SPAP) coordinate the prescriptive benefits that the elderly are supposed to receive. The objective of this move by the CMS is to ensure that the beneficiaries of prescription drugs under the coverage of Medicaid are able to get the value for their money concerning the medications that they utilize (Schrag). Additionally, the seniors will able to avoid any unnecessary expenses since the CMS is involved in the calculation and payments for these medications.
Works Cited
CMS. "Prescription Drug Assistance Programs - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services."Home - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 June 2016. <https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coordination-of-Benefits-and-Recovery/Prescription-Drug-Assistance-Programs/Overview.html>.
Schrag, Deborah. "Reimbursing Wisely? CMS’s Trial of Medicare Part B Drug Payment Reform." New England Journal of Medicine 374.22 (2016): 2101-2105.
