CMS Testing New Medication Therapy Management Program

A new medication therapy management (MTM) model being rolled out by CMS will test strategies to improve medication use among Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the Part D drug program.

The Part D Enhanced MTM model will assess whether providing some Medicare prescription drugs plans with additional incentives and flexibilities granted to plan design will achieve better overall goals for MTM programs.

“Through this model, we are hopeful that Part D plans will invest in medication therapy management and identify new, effective strategies to optimize medication use and improve care coordination in Medicare,” Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, CMS acting principal deputy administrator and chief medical officer, said in a statement.

Some of the goals the program is looking to achieve include: improving compliance with medication protocols, including high-cost drugs; reducing medication-related problems; increasing patients’ knowledge of their medications to better achieve goals of therapy; and improving communication among prescribers, pharmacists, caregivers, and patients.

Testing for the model will begin January 1, 2017, with a 5-year performance period and will be tested in 11 states: Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming.

During the performance period, CMS will waive current MTM program requirements for participating plans in the test regions.