Medicaid Patient Survey to Bolster Advocacy

New York Health Works has recently posted a patient survey on their website to solicit information from Medicaid recipients on prescription drug access since the advent of Medicaid Managed Care.  It turns out that patients are indeed experiencing difficulty that ranges from an inability to get medications as prescribed by a health care provider, having to make multiple trips to the pharmacy and having their medication changed by a health plan after years of stability on a former medicine.  We will continue to keep our readers updated on survey results until the end of the year.

The case for enacting prescriber prevails in Medicaid managed care is needed now more than ever.  After one year of the program’s implementation, patients continue to experience difficulty in accessing drugs best suited to treat their conditions.  Many Medicaid recipients suffer from complex medical conditions that require individualized treatment, not a one-size-fits-all approach as determined by a health plan.  Less than optimal treatment results in worse health outcomes for patients and rising costs for state and federal governments.

What can you do?  If you are a Medicaid recipient and have not filled out the New York Health Works survey, you can access it here.  If you are a Medicaid patient advocate, please encourage those who are experiencing difficulty to fill out the survey.

The state budget season is right around the corner.  The Governor’s office and Division of Budget are working on formulating their proposal now.  New York Health Works will use important survey information in our advocacy for 2013.  We will share results with our coalition partners, lawmakers and key legislative staff.  This information will inform our work going forward in enacting a prescriber prevails provision during the coming year.

Thank you for your help in advance.

-Jaime Venditti, 10/23/12