CMS is proposing that antidepressants and immunosuppresants lose protected status in 2015 andanti-psychotic medications in 2016. This would likely mean that Medicare Part D prescription drug plans would not continue to cover all or substantially all of the drugs in these medication classes. People who require medication not on the drug plan’s list would have to either:
- pay out of pocket;
- change to a potentially less effective medication or a medication that may have additional side effects; or
- utilize the exceptions or appeals process to try to gain access to the drug (with no assurance that this process would be successful).