Yet another problem with CMS Part D “Planfinder” tool
Medicare officials late Tuesday said aglitch in the government’s website that seniors use to compareprescription-drug policies is artificially inflating some annual costestimates.
The trouble was spotted after Sen. Richard Durbin,D-Ill., and the media questioned the Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services (CMS) about why some plans’ annual cost estimateshave changed since the website went live in mid-November.
Spokesman Gary Karr says CMS updates the website weekly with newinformation from the plans, which are allowed to adjust drug prices andthe amounts Medicare members will pay for those drugs.
But, hesays, it also discovered that a computer data problem was artificiallyinflating drug prices for a plan called Medicare RX Rewards Premier,offered by Unicare. That plan was used as an example by Durbin in aletter to the Department of Health and Human Services Tuesday,questioning why the Unicare cost estimate rose by more than $1,250since mid-November. The letter also mentioned a Humana plan whose pricedecreased by $70.
CMS is working to fix the problem, Karr says,adding that it knows of a similar problem with one other plan but couldnot rule out that there may be others.
Karr says Medicare expectsthat drug prices will change, perhaps quarterly, adding: “In general,we have not seen much price fluctuation at all, and some price drops.”
Ed.: As I’ve noted previously, my own opinion is to avoid the CMS tool, which is consistently producing problematic results for many if not most seniors seeking information about whether to enroll in Part D. Instead, contact your state Senior Health Insurance Counseling organization, or other state/local advocacy organizations, to get the help you need.