The Policy Process Part Iii

The Policy Process, Part II University of Phoenix HCS 455 The Policy Process, Part II In the wallpaper the author discussed The Policy Process, Part I on how Medicare part D became a insurance. The author discussed the details on the formulation, legislative, and implementation stages of the policy. forthwith time to sound off at the final stages of the process, of Medicare Part D. Which are evaluation, analysis, revision, and methodology stages. In every policy there lead be an evaluation stage to see how the policy leave alone work and what emergencys to be done to evaluate the process. Evaluation StageThe evaluation stage is a process in which policymakers in the Senate and House sort at a policy and evaluate the future outcomes of a policy in this case Medicare Part D. For instance once of the evaluation process would be how policymakers would evaluate the pharmaceutical companies to make sure to keep prescription costs down. Another would be to evaluate how many superio r citizens are enrolling in the plan. As well as making sure senior citizens maintain all the information available to them to study the correct plan that fits their prescription needs. For instance the Kaiser mental hospital did a study on the technical problems of Medicare Part D.One of Kaisers findings seen confusion on which prescriptions would be covered from the numerous plans that an individual bed choose from. As well, as medical providers not acquiring the new medical software to transition Medicare Part D into their computer systems. This meant that difference agencies like, doctors, insurance companies, and pharmacies run diametric programs and that have different policies on how to share patients information. Now on the other hand, if all these agencies can have the same software this would release everyone in the patients medical circle to share the same codes and computer language.Thus, not having to have a great deal of public distressingness and confusion abou t the patients drug coverages. Another problem was transferring large patients files from one insurance underwriter to another insurer can take up to six months, from a 2004 study from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission(Terri Emerick, 2006). One of the solutions to these problems would be to evaluate the information which is being sent to senior citizens. Medicare should send out their booklet to all senior citizens that are in the drug plan. All senior citizens should write down their medications which they are taking. many another(prenominal) seniors that do go to their local senior centers should go online and check out the Medicare website for information. As well calling Medicare to ask questions about which plan will work best for them. Do not for feature to talk to your local pharmacist he or she might be able to tell the names of the plans which cover the prescriptions. By evaluating these areas policymakers can get information from outside agencies to do research and come up with results from polls, interviews, and surveys. In evaluating all this information policymakers can form an analysis of Medicare Part D and see what need to be done.Analysis Stage Analyzing Medicare Part D as the author stated earlier one of the problems where the technical problems between the different agencies and sacramental manduction patients information. On February 17, 2009 President Obama signed a $787 billion dollar stimulus bill which puts $150 billion dollars on spending health information technology (Omini MD, 2009). This new plan physicians and health professionals will now draw incentives for implementing IT programs into their computer systems. Becoming paperless will maximize Medicare as well as physicians and medical professionals.By 2015 it will be mandatory that all physicians and medical professionals use IT programs. The United States Department of Health and Human go (HHS) by December 31, 2009 under the stimulus correspond will develop a set of streamers, implementation methods, and criteria for the new IT system to be in place (Chris genus Silvia, 2009). Another analysis was made about the enrolment period. The enrollment period to enroll in a drug coverage plan is from November 15th through December 31st. Many elderly individuals felt they were getting rushed into signing up for a plan.Most of them were confused and explaining why they must pick a new drug coverage program every year. Many individuals fail to sign up within the six week time frame due to their medical or mental condition. This is something that would need to be analyze and see if they can extend the enrollment period from six week to 12 weeks. Start the enrollment period on October 1st instead of November 15th. This would name many elderly individuals plenty enough time to pick, choose, and switch plans before the December 31st end date.In this entire analysis one must think there should be revisions made to the policy to make it better. Revision Sta ge In revise a policy starts by looking to see which policies need to be updated or changed to make the policy better. On September 5, 2008 one of the revisions in Medicare Part D was the use of Electronic Prescription Program (E-prescribing) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expects that Medicare Part D sponsors will have all the necessary contracts and systems in place should prescribers desire to use E-prescribing (Claudia Schlosberg, n. . ) As stated in the paragraph in a higher place with IT systems for physicians and health professionals using paperless system will maximize Medicare. This revision will not only help out pharmacies but help out physicians. Now this information will al low-downs doctors to find out what prescriptions the patient has used in the past and where the patient usually goes to pick up his or her medications from. By revising this policy everyone in the medical community can deliver faster and better care for the individual.Since many s enior citizens continue to do work, due to their low income, CMS has revised a section on Medicare Part D for employers. Employers whom are offering medication drug coverages to Medicare individuals will now wear to CMS if the plans the employer is offering are creditable. To make sure that the prescription drug plans are creditable, the plans must equal or exceed the actuarial value of defined standard prescription drug coverage under CMS guidelines (Kutak Rock, 2007).This revision in Medicare Part D is very important for seniors, this way seniors can know if the program that they have from work is creditable and make a decision on whether or not he or she should waive the enrollment of Medicare Part D. They employer must postpone to CMS all the prescription drug plans that they offer to see if the plans follow CMS guidelines. Employers must also send out information to those individuals in the plan on or before the Medicare Part D enrollment date of November 15th of each year. P urpose and MethodologiesOne of the methodologies in Medicare Part D was to make sure senior citizens get help with their drug prescription costs. all the same thou CMS has many plans to choose from seniors need to do their part in researching some of the plans via internet, CMS hotline, and talking to their pharmacist. In strain the E-prescribing was another to help physicians and pharmacies to collect information more quickly without using any paper. By having everything computerized pharmacists can receive and gather information quickly compared to the overage practice of using a fax machine.Using a computer eliminates misplaced fax paper, paper jams, or the fax did not go through. This saves time and cash on both parts for the physician and pharmacists. IT software stimulus package the president Obama signed this year to help all healthcare professions to go paperless and receive patients information more quickly than before. This as well will save time and money for healthca re professionals in managing patients data to make sure all parties involved get the information they need for billing and medical information.So these are just some of the purposes and methodologies for some changes in the Medicare Part D. Conclusion As more senior citizens coming into retirement Medicare Part D will be a major focus of intelligence on the political front. Both Democrats and Republicans have different ideas on how to evaluate, analyze, and revise Medicare Part D. Of course, from the authors perspective having IT software programs in place will help out indeed for all healthcare professionals and providers. Now with the Obama stimulus plan sign this year hopefully, all healthcare professions can be on the same track to get these IT systems in place.The benefits are enormous to getting information faster to the right people, especially in an emergency. Although CMS needs to do a better job on informing seniors about the prescription drug plans, so that way they can make better judgments on the plan they choose. Even better yet cut down on some of these plans these are way too many of them and they are confusing seniors on which plan to choose from. Either way policymakers from both sides need to work with healthcare professional to see what can be done to improve on Medicare Part D. References Chris Silvia (2009).Practices paperless before 2012 could maximize Medicare bonuses. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http//www. ama-assn. org/amednews/2009/03/16/gvsa0316. htm Claudia Schlosberg (n. d. ). CMS Revises Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manuel-Chapter 7 Medication Therapy Management and Quality Improvement Program. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http//www. ascp. com/advocacy/upload/ASCP%20Summary%20of %20CMS%20Chap%207%20Revisions. pdf Kutak Rock (2007). Medicare Part D CMS Revises Model Notice and Disclosure Notice Requirements. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http//www. utakrock. com/publications/employeebenefits/EBCA1107. pdf Omini MD (2011). Medicaid, health IT to see billions from stimulus package signed by Obama. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http//www. myemrstimulus. com/tag/emr-software/ Omni MD (n. d. ). Medicaid, health IT to see billions from stimulus package signed by Obama. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http//www. myemrstimulus. com/tag/emr-software/ Terri Emerick (2006). Part DRx for Disaster. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http//www. epluribusmedia. org/ memoir/features/2006/0511part_d. html