Chapter 1: Medicare Part D: An Outlook

Medicare part D: An outlook The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (more commonly known as the Medicare Modernization Act or MMA) is widely recognized as the most radical reform in the long history of this insurance program. The MMA's most significant achievement is the introduction of Medicare Part D, a wide-ranging new outpatient prescription drug benefit. Yet, the debut of this important new venture was anything but auspicious. The program's launch in January 2006 was beset by problems: a bewildering choice of plans, slow initial enrollment, criticism of the benefit's design (especially the notorious coverage gap), refusal of coverage for some beneficiaries' medicines in the program's first few weeks, and long delays in the reimbursement of pharmacies. Despite these initial difficulties, the program has steadily gained momentum during the course of the year. Figure 1.1 traces the growth in Medicare Part D enrollment from January Figure ...

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