PAN, Alliance for Aging Research, and allies ask for Congressional oversight and updates about Medicare Prescription Payment Plan

The PAN Foundation, the Alliance for Aging Research, and more than 50 national organizations sent a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, asking for the subcommittee to include clear language about “smoothing out-of-pocket costs” in their 2025 report to ensure appropriate oversight of the program’s implementation.

Beginning January 1, 2025, people with Medicare will have the option to “smooth” their Part D out-of-pocket costs through the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP), which will allow them to pay their prescription drug costs in installments throughout the year. Because smoothing will be a voluntary program and patients will be required to reenroll each year, clear communication and effective outreach about benefits and plan administration are critical, especially for patients with high prescription drug costs.

The letter also asks the subcommittee to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) to provide annual updates and publicly report information about the MPPP, including number of patients who have opted in, how CMS is conducting outreach, and progress on expanding options for patients to enroll.

You can read our letter and supporting materials here:

• Letter submitted by PAN Foundation and the Alliance for Aging Research
• Letter submitted by supporting members of Congress to the Subcommittee

Learn more about the implemented and slated reforms to Medicare in our guide to Medicare reforms.