Focused Advocacy and Congressional Sign-on Letters Further Highlight Part D Issue

July marks the entry into the third month of implementation of the damaging policy involving Medicare Part D and hospice patient medications.  In response, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports a surge in advocacy activity to halt the negative consequences on dying Medicare beneficiaries

The poorly conceived policy issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with a May 1, 2014 implementation date, was designed to prevent duplicate payments on medications for hospice patients. The unintended result of this policy is causing many dying Americans to forgo necessary medications that should be covered under Medicare Part D.

Through the efforts of Hospice Advocates across the nation, both Congress and CMS have heard what this misguided policy is doing to the patients and families being cared for by hospice providers.

“Coordinated advocacy efforts have brought some positive results but not a halt to the implementation of this policy,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. “Yet, even one patient at the end of life who suffers needlessly from this policy is one too many. It’s heartbreaking that CMS has failed to recognize the urgency of protecting these vulnerable patients.”

Congressional sign-on letters circulated by Senators Rockefeller and Roberts (PDF) and Representatives Reed and Thompson (PDF) emphasized the call for CMS to act.

The letters were signed by 75 Senators and 202 Members of the House of Representatives. Nineteen out of 24 Members of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over hospice in the Senate, and 26 out of 39 Members of the House Ways & Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over hospice in the House of Representatives, signed on to these letters.

Additional measures calling on CMS to stop implementation of the Part D policy include:

• Letter by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (PDF).
• Coalition letter from over 45 stakeholder groups (PDF).
• CMS hosted stakeholder meeting, where all stakeholder groups (Part D Plans, Hospices, Pharmacy Providers, Patient Groups, and NHPCO) unanimously called for a halt to implementation.

Additionally, last week, even the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) commented on the guidance, and suggested that the guidance be suspended until a streamlined process, that does not impact the Medicare beneficiary, can be implemented.

For more information on this issue, please visit the Hospice Action Network’s Hospice & Part D webpage at hospiceactionnetwork.org/partD.