3/4/11

“Exactly the Kind of Affordable and Common-Sense Solution We Need Right Now”

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, and Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) introduced The Medication Therapy Management Benefits Act of 2011 today. This bipartisan bill amends the Social Security Act to promote medication therapy management (MTM) under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.

“We all acknowledge the tremendous advancements that have been made in medicine, but more than half of all patients do not take their medications correctly – and seniors are particularly vulnerable,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers. “These health risks – and the exorbitant costs associated with them – can be substantially reduced if MTM is expanded under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. That is exactly what this legislation will do.”

The Medication Therapy Management Benefits Act expands the pool of Medicare Part D beneficiaries who qualify for MTM services by providing a licensed pharmacist to a patient with any chronic illness. Currently, only those who have been diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions qualify. That comprises only 13 percent of Part D beneficiaries.

Studies demonstrate that MTM services improve health care outcomes and significantly reduce spending. The cost of patients’ failure to adhere to medications has been estimated at over $290 billion per year – in addition to the $100 billion already spent on avoidable hospital visits.

“Our bill reduces costs and promotes overall health for seniors in Eastern Washington and across America,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers. “It’s exactly the kind of affordable and common-sense solution we need right now, and I will do everything I can to secure its passage.”