NCPA offers Senate tips for reducing Medicare Part D fraud, waste, abuse

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association is recommending several ways for reducing Medicare Part D fraud, waste and abuse to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs subcommittee, the group said Tuesday.



"NCPA and its members remain committed to combating waste, fraud and abuse within federal health care programs, and stand at the ready to assist with these efforts," comments submitted by the group read. "It is important for Congress to also focus on the existing waste within and potential savings from how pharmacy benefit managers operate in the Medicare Part D program. In the end, NCPA seeks to partner with the federal government in the right way to generate healthcare savings, while providing high quality health care to our patients."



Recommendations included: ensuring that requirements to use National Provider Identifier numbers on Part D claims provide for an adequate transition to avoid inadvertently penalizing pharmacies acting in good faith to serve patients; ensuring the government receives billions of dollars in manufacturer rebate savings currently retained by PBMs; promoting the appropriate use of generic prescription drugs; and requiring Part D plans to implement consistent pharmacy audit practices to strengthen fraud protections and focus on true fraud.

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