Assessment of the Impact of Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage on MaineCare and MaineCare Members

The new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage or "Part D" was scheduled for implementation in January, 2006, and it is clear that the implementation of the new benefit for dual eligibles and individuals participating in Drugs for the Elderly (DEL) is complex. The goal of this project is to help assess the impact of the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage on MaineCare and MaineCare members. Issues to be addressed include potential barriers to access to medications and continuity of medication use due to the new formularies to be used by private carriers; the potential for MaineCare expenditures for dual eligibles to increase if discontinuities in medication use lead to more nursing home admissions or home health visits; lack of information flowing from the new private carriers to MaineCare on members? medication utilization; and difficulty in monitoring quality of medication use and access to medications by MaineCare for dual eligibles.