When in Doubt, Always Opt for Choice

Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed regulations that would have made significant, sweeping changes in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.  Among other aspects, the proposed rule would have placed new limitations on the number of Part D plans that plan sponsors could offer in a particular region.

In a logical world, policymakers would have first asked seniors if they felt the Part D program was inflicting too many plan choices upon them.  They didn’t, so the Healthcare Leadership Council (through our Medicare Today initiative) did.

We recently released our annual nationwide survey of U.S seniors evaluating their perspectives regarding their prescription drug coverage.  As has been the case in past years, satisfaction with Part D remains high, with almost 90 percent saying they’re pleased with their coverage and find it affordable.

More interesting, though, in context with the earlier CMS proposed rulemaking is the survey’s finding that three of every four seniors value having a wide choice of plans from which to choose and expressed concern with any changes that would limit those choices.

Ever since the inception of Medicare Part D, those who take a more patronizing view toward older Americans have asserted that they would be confused by having a number of plan choices before them.  This survey makes it abundantly clear that is not the case.

CMS pulled back on its efforts to make such drastic changes to the Medicare prescription drug program.  Before any further rulemaking takes place, federal regulators would do well to take into consideration what beneficiaries actually want.