Medicare beneficiaries may have to choose between the new prescription drug program or free medication from drug companies. I recently wrote about Medicare’s new prescription drug program, which goes into effect in January 2006.
From the New York Times (registration required):
Mr. Bach, 65, who is blind, received worrisome news last month from Bristol-Myers Squibb. The free Plavix he gets from the company’s charitable foundation will stop if he enrolls in the new Medicare prescription program that begins in January.
Mr. Bach says that his free Plavix, a $125-a-month blood thinner that reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, is more valuable than the immediate benefits he would receive from signing up for the Medicare program, even taking into account the three inexpensive generic drugs he also takes.
Why will patients have to choose? According to the story, some drug companies are eliminating free drug programs because recipients will be eligible for the new coverage under Medicare. How the unintended consequences of Medicare’s new drug program will effect providers remains to be seen.