Just over a dozen years ago, as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I helped lead a bipartisan band of lawmakers to establish the Medicare Part D program, a landmark commitment to America’s seniors that acknowledged the essential role of pharmaceuticals to their health.
In the decade since, Part D has proven to be an unqualified success, providing access to lifesaving innovations and coming in considerably under budget. Unfortunately, however, some in government just can’t let a good thing be, and despite the great strengths of the program and its unquestioned benefit to seniors, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is threatening to undermine the program by stripping away vital patient protections provided by Part D’s “Six Protected Classes” policy, with potentially devastating consequences for Medicare beneficiaries.
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