UPDATE – Part D Plans Respond to Sign-On Letter from 29 Organizations Opposing Access Barriers to CDC-Recommended Vaccines for Older Adults
Published August 5, 2024
Part D plans sent formal responses to a May 2024 letter signed by 29 organizations to CEOs at UnitedHealth Group, OptumRx Pharmacy, Inc., Humana, CVS Health, and Elevance Health to request that they refrain from any deal-making with Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in their upcoming June 2024 Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage Part D contract bids that would result in limited availability of certain vaccines at local, in-network pharmacies during the upcoming respiratory virus season.
The response letters can be found here:
“While we are encouraged to hear back from all of the Part D plans we sent letters to, some responses were better than others. Humana, in particular, needs to do a better job of assuring their beneficiaries that they will not engage in practices that limit local pharmacy or other provider access to recommended vaccines,” said Sue Peschin, President & CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research. “On behalf of the Alliance for Aging Research, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Service Programs, and National Consumers League (NCL), we advise Medicare beneficiaries to look carefully at their current Part D plans, and switch as needed during open enrollment.”
The letters to the Part D plans were signed by the following organizations:
- Alliance for Aging Research
- The ALS Association
- American Kidney Fund
- American Pharmacists Association
- American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)
- Association of Immunization Managers
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
- Autoimmune Association
- HealthHIV
- HealthyWomen
- Hydrocephalus Association
- Immune Deficiency Foundation
- LeadingAge
- Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
- National Alliance for Caregiving
- National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs
- National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc.
- National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
- National Consumers League
- National Council on Aging
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)
- National Grange
- National Health Council
- National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)
- National Kidney Foundation
- National MS Society
- National Psoriasis Foundation
- Patients Rising
- RetireSafe
Update: The following responses to the letter were received: