TOOLKIT FOR PHARMACIES & SUPPORTERS
Medicare Pro-Patient Proposed Rule for Part D Drug Plans
March 2014
Federal Medicare officials have proposed some exciting pro-patient benefits for seniors'
Medicare Part D prescription drug plans in 2015. It’s vital that you take action now to
support implementation of these policies. The National Community Pharmacists
Association (NCPA) has assembled a toolkit for your convenience to help you advocate
for improving seniors’ pharmacy choice.
Contact your Member of Congress and your Senators today and urge them to support
pharmacy choice for seniors. U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121; email:
http://bit.ly/emailCongress (website address is case-sensitive).
This toolkit contains:
 Talking points about the benefits of increasing pharmacy choices for seniors.
 Sample letter to the editor to send to your local newspaper(s) and community
blogs.
 Sample press release to send to local media and/or trade outlets.
 Sample email pitch to send to local media outlets. (If you need help identifying
media outlets to target in your community, please contact NCPA’s
Communications Department at 703-683-8200.)
 Sample social media posts for your Twitter, Facebook, and/or Google+ accounts.
More information for consumers, government officials, and
community pharmacists can be found at:
www.ncpanet.org/medicare
Updated 3/3/14
©2014 NCPA
Talking Points
CMS Part D Proposed Rule:
CMS’ proposed rule making improvements to Medicare Part D prescription drug plans will:
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Allow seniors to use any pharmacy willing to accept a “preferred” contract, including
independent community pharmacies.
Improve beneficiary health by expanding medication therapy management eligibility.
Have NO Medicare cost impact.
Have NO impact on statutory ban on Medicare interference into manufacturer-drug plan price
negotiations.
Consumer Concerns With Limited Access Preferred Networks:
All Medicare beneficiaries should voice support for the implementation of policies to allow any
pharmacy willing to accept contract terms to participate as a preferred pharmacy because:
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Locally owned pharmacies are often not offered the opportunity to participate in a growing
number of Medicare Part D programs—including AARP’s drug plan.
Medicare Part D is a taxpayer-funded program. Because it is, everyone should have an equal
chance at providing services to patients—not just large corporations.
A larger pool of preferred providers means greater choices for beneficiaries where they can reap
the benefit of the lowest advertised copays.
Greater competition allows beneficiaries to choose a pharmacy on the basis of service, quality,
and individual needs.
Greater pharmacy participation would increase beneficiary access in traditionally underserved
urban and rural communities.
For many in underserved rural areas, any savings obtained through a preferred pharmacy vanish
when you consider costs associated with traveling out of the way to obtain the lowest copay.
Greater pharmacy participation would allow beneficiaries to maintain their relationship with
their pharmacist of choice, which increases patient adherence and helps to avoid costly negative
outcomes.
With more pharmacies competing on price, prices should be lower for the government,
providing taxpayer savings in the Medicare Part D program.
Updated 3/3/14
©2014 NCPA
Sample Letter to the Editor
**PLEASE PERSONALIZE WITH YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, IF POSSIBLE**
Dear Editor:
As a small business independent pharmacy [As a supporter of small business independent pharmacy],
we write to commend the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for aspects of their
recently proposed rule that will improve Medicare Part D for beneficiaries, in particular the effort to
expand patient choice of pharmacies.
For several years, Medicare has experimented with restrictive preferred pharmacy networks that often
limit the best prescription drug copay options to certain chain pharmacies, which limited choices for
seniors and didn’t necessarily result in cost savings. In recognition of these issues, CMS has proposed
that any pharmacy willing to accept the terms and conditions of a contract can participate and offer
reduced copays. This will expand the options available to seniors where they can obtain the best copays
offered by the Part D plan, and will let seniors focus on selecting a pharmacy based on service and their
particular needs.
The best way to reduce costs in Medicare Part D is to foster competition, and we urge all readers to
voice support for these proposals to their elected officials. Protect local jobs and small businesses in
your community.
Sincerely,
Updated 3/3/14
©2014 NCPA
Sample Press Release
**PLEASE PERSONALIZE WITH YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, IF POSSIBLE**
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Name
Phone/Email
[Organization/Pharmacy Name] Urges Congress, Community to Support Proposed
Improvements to Medicare Part D
CITY, STATE (DATE) – [Organization/Pharmacy Name] today urged patients and Members of
Congress to support proposed changes to Medicare Part D prescription drug plans that will
increase seniors’ choices in pharmacy and help to reduce copay costs through increased
marketplace competition.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has included several provisions in the
agency’s proposed regulation for 2015 Medicare Part D prescription drug plans that will allow
independent community pharmacies the opportunity to participate as “preferred” providers if
they are willing to accept the contract offered by a drug plan. Currently, many drug plans
exclude independent pharmacies from participating in Medicare preferred networks, even though
the pharmacies often serve rural and underserved urban areas where national chain pharmacies
may not exist.
“Currently, many Medicare drug plans exclude independent pharmacies from participating in
their “preferred” networks, even though many can match prices and are often the only pharmacy
in town,” said xx. “We strongly urge our elected officials to support the proposed Medicare rule
and improve seniors’ access to the pharmacy of their choice. This will increase competition,
protect local jobs, and ultimately lower costs to taxpayers.”
Several provisions in CMS’ proposed rule for 2015 Part D plans will:
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Allow seniors to use any pharmacy willing to accept a “preferred” contract, including
independent community pharmacies.
Improve beneficiary health and lower overall costs by expanding eligibility for critical
medication therapy management services at pharmacies.
Have no Medicare cost impact.
While preferred pharmacy networks have been championed by pharmacy benefit managers
(PBMs) as producing astronomical cost savings, a series of analyses of Medicare data have
found repeated instances where preferred pharmacy plans and PBM-owned mail order are more
expensive for Medicare.
For more information on CMS’s proposed rule, go to www.ncpanet.org/medicare.
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Updated 3/3/14
©2014 NCPA
Sample Email Pitch to Media Outlets
SPECIFICALLY FOR PHARMACIES:
RE: Story idea on impact of Medicare regulations on local small business pharmacies in xx
Dear [NAME]:
Would you rather fill your prescription at your local neighborhood pharmacy that’s down the street, or
drive 20 miles to fill it?
Right now, my pharmacy is excluded from serving as a “preferred” pharmacy under Medicare, forcing
senior patients to travel far to fill their prescriptions out of town at the “preferred” pharmacy or pay a
higher copay at mine.
Fortunately, federal Medicare officials have proposed a new rule for 2015 Medicare plans that allows
pharmacies like mine who are willing to accept the contract offered by a drug plan to participate as a
“preferred” provider.
However, big corporations and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are doing everything they can to
stop this proposed rule from becoming final. Their opposition hurts small businesses, threatens local
jobs here in xx, and harms seniors’ choice in pharmacies.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue and its effect on my business in further detail with you.
Please contact me at xx.
Sincerely,
FOR EVERYONE:
RE: Story idea on impact of Medicare regulations on local small business pharmacies
Dear [NAME]:
Right now, drug plans exclude most community pharmacies from serving as a “preferred” pharmacies
under Medicare, forcing seniors to travel far to fill their prescriptions out of town at the “preferred”
pharmacy or pay a higher copay at the non-preferred pharmacy.
Fortunately, federal Medicare officials have proposed a new rule for 2015 Medicare plans that allows
pharmacies who are willing to accept the contract offered by a drug plan to participate as a “preferred”
provider.
Big corporations and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are doing everything they can to stop this
proposed rule from becoming final. Their opposition hurts small businesses, threatens local jobs, and
drives up costs for taxpayers. Seniors deserve a choice in where they fill their prescriptions.
This small business/health care issue could be a compelling story for your [readers/viewers]. I welcome
the opportunity to discuss it in further detail with you. Please contact me at xx.
Sincerely,
Updated 3/3/14
©2014 NCPA
Sample Social Media Posts
Share your stories using the hashtag #pharmacychoice in your tweets and posts.
**PLEASE PERSONALIZE WITH YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES WHENEVER POSSIBLE**
Twitter:
SPECIFICALLY FOR PHARMACIES:
Lost another Medicare customer to their plan’s “preferred” pharmacy #pharmacychoice
I’m willing to accept preferred pharmacy terms and reimbursements for Medicare plans, but the PBM
won’t let me. #pharmacychoice
Had to tell patient copay is more $$ at my #pharmacy because I am not allowed to serve as a Medicare
preferred pharmacy. #pharmacychoice
My pharmacy can match prices & care for patients face-to-face. Why can't I participate as a Medicare
preferred pharmacy? #pharmacychoice
We are the only pharmacy in town yet seniors must travel [far/more than x miles] to use a preferred
pharmacy under Medicare. #pharmacychoice
We want opportunity to participate as "preferred" pharmacy in Medicare. Tell Congress you support
#pharmacychoice & support CMS' proposal.
FOR EVERYONE:
Join us in urging Congress to level playing field for #communitypharmacy by supporting CMS proposed
#Medicare rule http://bit.ly/emailCongress
Join [NAME OF ORG/PHARMACY] & #communitypharmacy in supporting local jobs and
#pharmacychoice for seniors: ncpanet.org/medicare
We believe #communitypharmacy should be allowed to participate in Medicare preferred networks.
Support us at www.fight4rx.org #pharmacychoice
We believe seniors should be allowed to fill an Rx at the pharmacy of their choice. www.fight4rx.org
#pharmacychoice
Here's a prescription for Congress: let seniors use any #communitypharmacy willing to accept
"preferred" contract #pharmacychoice
We support #pharmacychoice in Medicare: a larger pool of preferred providers means greater choices
for seniors ncpanet.org/medicare
We support #pharmacychoice in Medicare: More competition allows seniors to choose a pharmacy on
basis of service, quality & individ. needs.
We support #pharmacychoice in Medicare: more pharmacy participation would increase seniors' access
in underserved urban & rural areas
Updated 3/3/14
©2014 NCPA
We support #pharmacychoice in Medicare: more pharmacy participation would allow seniors to
maintain relationship w/pharmacist of choice
We support #pharmacychoice in Medicare: for seniors in rural areas, any savings obtained through a
preferred pharmacy vanish w/travel costs
TWEET A MESSAGE TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS:
[Insert official’s Twitter handle] Please support CMS’ proposed rule to increase #pharmacychoice for
seniors in Medicare Part D plans. ncpanet.org/medicare
[Insert official’s Twitter handle] Please support CMS’ proposed Part D rule to protect local jobs & small
business community pharmacies in [TOWN or STATE]
Facebook / Google+:
SPECIFICALLY FOR PHARMACIES:
Many drug plans exclude our pharmacy from participating in the preferred pharmacy network under
Medicare, even though we are the only pharmacy in town and can care for patients face-to-face. Join us
in asking Congress to change the rules to allow any willing pharmacy to participate. #pharmacychoice
www.fight4rx.org
We have to charge seniors higher copays because drug plans won’t let us participate in their Medicare
preferred pharmacy network, even though we are willing and want to match their prices. Join us in
telling Congress this isn’t fair at www.fight4rx.org. #pharmacychoice
We want the opportunity to participate as a “preferred” pharmacy in all Medicare drug plans. Join us in
urging Congress to support CMS’ proposed Medicare rule and increase #pharmacychoice for seniors.
www.fight4rx.org
FOR EVERYONE:
Take action and support #pharmacychoice for seniors in Medicare Part D by allowing community
pharmacies to participate as “preferred” providers if they are willing to accept the contract offered by a
drug plan.
www.ncpanet.org/medicare
Any willing pharmacy should be allowed to participate in Medicare preferred pharmacy networks. This
will increase competition, save taxpayer money, and improve patient health. Sign up at
www.fight4rx.org to make your voice heard. #pharmacychoice
WRITE A MESSAGE ON YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS’ FACEBOOK PAGES:
Dear [Senator/Representative NAME]: Please support #pharmacychoice for seniors by backing CMS’
proposed rule for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. CMS’ proposal will allow seniors to use any
pharmacy willing to accept a “preferred” contract, including community pharmacies, which are
traditionally shut out of preferred networks. This will increase competition, improve health care, protect
local jobs, and save taxpayer money.
Find your U.S. Senators’ and Representative’s contact information and social media handles at:
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
Updated 3/3/14
©2014 NCPA