Social services announces Medicare Part D emergency plan

Thursday, January 19, 2006

The Missouri Department of Social Services has announced procedures to assist individuals who previously had prescription coverage under Medicaid and have been unable to access prescription coverage under Medicare Part D. The Medicare Part D Emergency Override program must be accessed by a provider. Individuals must be eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

"At Governor Blunt's request, we are implementing this emergency override to ensure that critical needs for life sustaining medications are met while transitional issues with the federal program continue to be resolved," said George L. Oestreich, Pharm.D, director of pharmacy for Missouri Medicaid. Individuals who previously had prescription coverage under Medicaid were to have been automatically enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan by the federal program.

"Unfortunately, the numbers of people being transitioned nationally are enormous. Some people have not shown up on the automated system as enrolled, some are enrolled in plans that need to be transitioned to other plans," Oestreich added.

Missouri's Emergency Override Plan will temporarily restore Medicaid prescription drug coverage in critical cases where access to the federal program can not be achieved in a timely fashion. Missouri offered on several occasions to assist with the transfer of dual eligibles to Part D, but was assured by federal officials that the transfer would be managed federally. The Department of Social Services, Division of Medical Services has outlined steps for pharmaceutical providers to follow before accessing the Medicare Part D Missouri Emergency Override plan.

Providers can access Emergency Override program information at the Missouri Department of Social Services Web site at www.dss.mo.gov/dms. Individuals should work through their pharmacy to access the assistance.

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