Medicare Agency Taps Health Strategies to Advise on Long-Term Care Pharmacy Issues

11.09.04

Washington, D.C. – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has selected the Health Strategies Consultancy to advise the government on commercial pharmacy issues affecting long-term care populations. Health Strategies will assist in investigating the role long-term care pharmacies play in providing medications to residents of nursing facilities, and the implications of changes resulting from recent legislation.

The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), passed by Congress in 2003, could fundamentally change the operations of pharmacies operating in long-term care facilities. Nursing home residents who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will begin receiving their prescription drugs—previously paid for by Medicaid—through Medicare Part D. Looking ahead to this shift, CMS will study current practices for the delivery and financing of prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries residing in long-term care facilities.

“More than 1.6 million American seniors currently live in nursing homes; by 2030 that number is projected to rise to over 3 million,” said Anne Tumlinson, director of the Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Practice at Health Strategies and primary advisor to CMS on the study. “With this many affected people, it is critical to ensure that Medicare plans can effectively meet their prescription drug needs. We are pleased to work with CMS on this important research.”

The CMS agreement with Health Strategies is part of a larger undertaking by the agency’s Office of Research, Development, and Information. Section 107(b) of the Medicare Modernization Act requires CMS to examine current long-term care pharmacy practices and operations and compile their findings in a report to Congress by June 2005. The report will include recommendations for how long-term care pharmacy services can be integrated into Medicare Part D. Health Strategies will support CMS as it conducts the study and compiles results.

About The Health Strategies Consultancy LLC

Health Strategies is a Washington-based health policy think tank and strategic consulting firm that focuses on the commercialization of new medical technology. Our diverse client base includes Fortune 500 healthcare technology companies, Federal Government agencies and major medical foundations. Our team includes healthcare specialists with unparalleled expertise in pharmaceutical and medical device policy, with collective experience spanning the White House, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Congress. Additional information about Health Strategies is available on our website at http://www.healthstrategies.net.

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