House Community Pharmacy Caucus co-chair Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and House Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) spearheaded sending a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell in support of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s efforts to enhance medication therapy management (MTM) models.
In an effort to ensure better access to Medicare Part D medication therapy management services, House Community Pharmacy Caucus co-chair Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and House Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) spearheaded a bipartisan letter, signed by 44 congressmen, that was sent to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell in support of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) efforts to enhance medication therapy management (MTM) models.
NACDS appreciates the coordinated, bipartisan efforts of the two congressmen, who have consistently championed MTM legislation and have been active and engaged participants at NACDS events…
NACDS appreciates the coordinated, bipartisan efforts of the two congressmen, who have consistently championed MTM legislation and have been active and engaged participants at NACDS events (pictured), including NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill and the NACDS Total Store Expo.
The CMMI pilot—the Enhanced MTM Demonstration—would allow Part D plans to utilize new and innovative approaches to MTM, such as more efficient outreach and targeting strategies, and tailoring the level of services to the beneficiary’s needs. The pilot program presents an opportunity to create better alignment of program incentives for Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs), prescribers, pharmacies and CMS, and has the potential to improve access to MTM services and medication adherence.
The letter outlined the significant cost of poor medication adherence and the documented benefits of patients who do take their medicines correctly, and noted that despite the advantages of MTM services, they have not been well integrated into existing healthcare systems. The congressmen stated in the letter that CMMI should encourage participating plans to include retail pharmacies in their enhanced models because without them, the testing of enhanced MTM models would likely not be as successful in achieving positive patient health outcomes.
