Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Key finding: Part D coverage doesn't limit pharmacy choice.

When it comes to pleasing Part D beneficiaries, you had best be sure your customer service can stand up to your competition--because there's a lot of it.

A recent HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) report suggests that retail pharmacies have fully embraced Part D, at least as judged by their participation in the program.

The report, "Retail Pharmacy Participation in Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans in 2006" (OEI-05-06-00320), aimed to determine the extent to which retail pharmacies took part in Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) and to determine how many Part D stand-alone plans are offered by participating pharmacies.

The findings suggest easy access for beneficiaries:

• Nearly all pharmacies participate in Medicare Part D (97 percent).

• 70 percent of participating retail pharmacies offer beneficiaries the choice of all available PDPs in their region.

Bottom line: Keep an eye on your competition. Beneficiaries with Part D coverage have plenty of choice when it comes to choosing a retail pharmacy.

To read the report, go to the OIG Web site at http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-05-06-00320.pdf.