Over 130 Patient Groups Urge Becerra to Maintain Six Protected Classes Policy

​The Partnership for Part D Access sent a letter today cosigned by 138 individual patient advocacy organizations to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary-designee the Honorable Xavier Becerra, highlighting the importance of Medicare’s six protected classes policy and urging the Biden administration to reject a late Trump administration proposal to eliminate the benefit

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“The protected classes policy has been a cornerstone of Part D’s success: helping to ensure that Part D formularies serve the needs of all Medicare beneficiaries, including the most vulnerable patients with the greatest need for drug coverage,” the letter states. “Accordingly, we implore you to reverse [the Trump administration] policy immediately.”
 
On January 19, 2021, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced the opportunity for new “formulary flexibilities” for Medicare Part D plans that participate in its Part D Payment Modernization (PDM) Model. Under the proposal, participating plans can choose to limit the drugs they cover, including denying patient access to medications used to manage complex conditions such as cancer, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and organ transplantation.