PPOL-825 MEDICARE & PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Professor Hoadley

This course examines the policy issues surrounding the new Part D drug benefit added to Medicare effective January 2006. This benefit involves certain approaches that are entirely new to Medicare. It is the first time that the program has offered coverage for outpatient prescription drugs. Furthermore, instead of offering the benefit itself, Medicare relies solely on private, standalone drug plans that compete among themselves and are at risk for the costs of the benefit. This module will explore the law's origins, the politics that shaped it, the need for the benefit in Medicare, the design incorporated by the legislation, and the ongoing implementation challenges. We will consider the continuing debates over the legislation and its future, how its impact will be studied, and its effect on broader debates over the future of Medicare.

Credits: 1.5

Prerequisites: None

Other academic years
There is information about this course number in other academic years:

• 2007-2008 Fall and Spring
• 2009-2010 Fall and Spring
• 2010-2011 Fall and Spring
• 2012-2013 Fall and Spring

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