SAN FRANCISCO and ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla., April 4, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Coalition to Advance Prescription Drug Education (CARxE) and The Center for Practical Health Reform announced today preliminary results from the CARxE "Plan Cost Variability Study." The study was designed to demonstrate the variability in the cost of Medicare prescription drug plans and to encourage seniors to take advantage of the transparencies in the Medicare plan market in advance of the May 15th deadline for enrollment. Seniors can compare plans based on the drugs they take to save significantly on the premium and out-of-pocket costs. The savings vary depending upon the city and the drugs taken, but for the nine most common conditions, the variability in plan prices from cheapest to most expensive is at least 200 percent. Seniors can create personal plan reports by going to www.carxe.org or calling 866-394-7700.
"These results demonstrate on a national level what we have known for some time, that seniors or their advisors need to compare plans before choosing a Part D plan. Go to www.carexe.org and put in your drugs. If you don't have access to the Internet, call toll free," said Bob Ohr, Interim Chief Executive Officer, CARxE
The study looked at the most commonly prescribed drugs for nine conditions (allergy, Alzheimer's, asthma, cholesterol, depression, diabetes, GERD, heart disease and osteoporosis) compiled by a team of health professionals including physicians and a pharmacist. For all conditions and drug bundles, the monthly drug premium, deductible and annual drug plan cost were calculated and compared to arrive at a total annual out-of-pocket cost comparison for each condition. Individual reports for each market are available.
"If you want to know what the variability is in your market, put your drugs and your zip code in the plan comparison tool. This isn't so much a study, but an introduction to the variability and savings that the plan comparison tool can reveal to beneficiaries," said Brian Klepper, President of The Center for Practical Health Reform.
Information from The CARxE Benefits Gateway is identical in content to the official prescription drug plan comparison tool currently being used by seniors on www.medicare.gov. In addition, seniors and their caregivers can save searches created on the CARxE Benefits Gateway so they can produce their own pricing study over time. The CARxE Benefit Gateway is complimented by a coalition of volunteers to assist seniors with their enrollment decisions. The site also includes a detailed slide presentation on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit and advice on what to consider when choosing a plan.
The CARxE Gateway was made available with permission from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and made possible by donations from industry partners. The price comparison technology for CARxE is licensed from DestinationRx, Inc., a company that licenses the same technology to CMS for its Plan Finder tool. CARxE does not receive any form of residuals or fees from seniors that are enrolled through www.carxe.org or by volunteers at the CARxE call center.
About CARxE
The Coalition to Advance Prescription Drug Education (CARxE) is a not-for-profit independent coalition. CARxE provides education for seniors on health care options by giving trusted sources such as family, caregivers, doctors, pharmacists, hospitals and clergy with unbiased educational resources. CARxE presents impartial and neutral information about the Medicare program including enrollment information and comparison of all of the plans available in each state and their costs. More information is available at www.carxe.org.
About The Center for Practical Health Reform
The Center for Practical Health Reform is a non-partisan coalition-based national health care change agency dedicated to structural reforms, expressed through policy-adjustment and market-based change, that can reestablish health care market stability and sustainability. More information is available at www.cphr.com.