IPS Forum Will Help Psychiatrists Explain Medicare Part D

Aforum that will provide APA members with the practical information they need to help their patients navigate Medicare's new Part D pharmaceutical benefit has been added to the schedule of APA's 2005 Institute on Psychiatric Services.

The institute will be held in San Diego from October 5 to 9 (see box on Original article: page 27 for registration information).

The forum, “Readying for the New Medicare Pharmacy Benefit: The Part D Challenge,” will be sponsored by APA's Office of Healthcare Systems and Financing and chaired by Director Irvin “Sam” Muszynski. It is part of APA's ongoing effort to educate members about Medicare's new prescription drug benefit, which begins on January 1, 2006.

The forum will be held on Thursday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Said Muszynski, “Deciding which Part D pharmacy plan to participate in will be a daunting task for almost all Medicare beneficiaries, but especially for dual-eligible beneficiaries, whose drug benefit will be transferred from their state's Medicaid program to Medicare. We anticipate that patients will be very dependent on their physicians to help them make the right decision.” ▪