Raja Sékaran Discusses $200 Medicare Drug Card Proposal

Raja Sékaran was quoted in a Radar on Drug Benefits article that examined the White House’s proposal to fast-track the distribution of $200 prescription drug credits to Medicare Part D enrollees on preloaded debit cards.

Commenting on the matter, Raja said it would be difficult, as the drug card proposal would have to be an approved, revenue-neutral Demonstration Project for the Administration to act unilaterally. The savings to fund the project must also come from a Most Favored Nation policy of Medicare obtaining the most favorable (i.e., lowest) price for drugs.

Raja added that “This announcement weaves together some preexisting proposals with some events that have not occurred, and presents it all as a campaign promise on a timeline which appears impossible…Currently, there are no existing savings to pay for the Medicare debit cards and no approved demonstration project for issuing the debit cards the President describes.”

Radar on Drug Benefits is a publication of AIS Health.