Medicare Part D Surveillance & Response Program
Baltimore City will conduct round-the-clock surveillance for problems associated with the implementation of Medicare Part D, the new prescription drug program. The city will also respond with direct assistance to residents who are experiencing difficulties with Part D.

The Complete Plan Frequently Asked Questions About Medicare Part D July 27 Update Today in San Antonio, Texas, the National Association of County & City Health Officials is recognizing the Baltimore City Medicare Part D Surveillance and Response Initiative as a model practice in public health. Read the press release. Read a snapshot... June 19 update Baltimore City's Medicare Part D Surveillance and Response Initiative remains in operation. To date, we have received 152 reports from pharmacists of patients who are having problems with Medicare Part D. We have committed funds to pay for emergency supplies... April 12 Update Pharmacists continue to contact Baltimore City’s Medicare Part D Surveillance and Response initiative, and we are still helping patients. Our collaboration with the Commission on Aging and Retirement Education (CARE) is continuing. CARE is still reaching out to patients identified... Register for Updates:

Monitoring the Transition
The surveillance program is a partnership with city pharmacies. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, pharmacies will report information about any patients who need additional assistance in managing the transition to Part D. The Health Department will then refer these patients to the Commission on Aging and Retirement Education (CARE) for direct assistance. CARE is the city agency that has been conducting outreach and counseling related to Medicare Part D this year.

Supporting Pharmacists
The Health Department will also be available to support pharmacists who are having trouble dispensing essential medications to low-income patients eligible for Medicare Part D. This assistance will include technical support about how to bill Medicare and state pharmacy programs. As a last resort, the Health Department will draw from a special $50,000 reserve fund to purchase medications for low-income patients until Medicare Part D coverage problems are resolved.

Advocating on the Public's Behalf
Using an innovative database designed for this purpose, the Health Department will review all reported problems with Medicare Part D each day. If this review reveals that particular private drug plans are blocking access to essential medications or creating any other systematic problems for patients or pharmacies, the Health Department will advocate on behalf of city residents.

In addition, building on its existing surveillance and biomonitoring, the Health Department will work with several Baltimore City hospitals to track the number of seniors presenting to the Emergency Department with preventable conditions each day.

Keeping Partners Informed
The Health Department will regularly update all city pharmacies and the public about the progress of this initiative. (Sign up to receive updates)

Strengthening Emergency Preparedness
To implement Medicare Part D Surveillance & Response, the Health Department is using an incident command structure. This is a scalable leadership structure recommended for emergency management. The Department is also planning to learn lessons from this initiative to improve preparedness for an outbreak of infectious disease, natural disaster, or other public health emergency.