Donut hole to swallow more seniors

More seniors will fall into the Medicare Part D donut hole coverage gap in 2007, based on a forthcoming report from Verispan. According to "Medicare Part D: Implications of Access," cardiovascular disease and diabetes are expected to be the therapeutic areas most impacted by the coverage gap. The report, which surveyed managed care executives, also found that medication therapy management and patient education programs were most highly valued by respondents. In 2007 most Medicare Part D prescription drug plans offered little or no coverage after the patient reached $2,400 in total drug costs. Patients are then responsible for paying for the next $3,850. Verispan is a joint venture of Quintiles Transnational Corp. and McKesson and provides information and research to the healthcare industry.

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