Partners in D: A brief overview

1. Partners in D: A brief overview A presentation for PILLS, 9.17.2009 By UCSF Partners in D 2009-2010 coordinators Lucia Huynh, Margrit Rosado, and Nancy Hung

2. What is Medicare? • Medicare = US government heath insurance plan for people who are: • 65 and older • Permanently disabled • End-stage renal failure • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease)

3. Medicare consists of three coverage subparts: • Part A – government coverage of inpatient services (e.g. hospital care) • Part B – government coverage of outpatient services (e.g. doctor visits) • Part D – government-subsidized coverage of outpatient prescription drugs by private prescription drug plans • Part C – government-subsidized all-in-one coverage of Part A, B, and often D services by private plans (e.g. HMOs, PPOs, PFFSs, etc.)

4. History of Medicare Part D • Established by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA 2003) • Added to Medicare to provide outpatient prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients • Prior to Part D, no such coverage available under Medicare • Benefit began January 1, 2006 • Part D is optional – beneficiaries wanting coverage must enroll and choose a prescription drug plan

5. Medicare Part D(ilemma) • Over 50 Part D prescription drug plans in California alone • Each plan offers varying coverage of different drugs, with different payment schemes • Finding best plan is a complex process that requires knowledge of patient’s drug regimen, income level, and current coverage • Plans change every year, so diligence necessary • Coverage gaps, enrollment penalties, and other formidable hurdles too complex to get into!

6. So how does a Medicare beneficiary choose!?

7. Partners in D • Statewide initiative started by UCSF School of Pharmacy faculty • Supported by a $3.7 million grant from the Amgen Foundation over 3.5 years • Includes 7 schools of pharmacy in California • UCSF, UCSD, USC, UOP, Touro, Loma Linda, and Western • Specialized Part D training for student pharmacists • One-on-one counseling to help underserved Medicare patients get the most out of their prescription drug benefit • Peer-to-peer education of future prescribers • http://partnersind.com/

8. Get involved with Partners in D We are currently looking for translators in: • Spanish • Russian • Cantonese • Mandarin • Other languages possible as well

9. Requirements include: • Attending an interpreter training session • Three hours of volunteering at a Partners in D outreach • Most outreaches occur during the second half of November and first half of December • Most occur on weekends • Most are located in SF, but a couple are in Berkeley

10. Volunteers get the chance to: • Learn more about Medicare Part D • Experience one-on-one interaction with patients in an intimate setting • Observe student pharmacists / pharmacists in action outside a traditional pharmacy • Work closely with UCSF faculty members • Serve the community!

11. Thank You!

12. A peek into Partners in D …