Obama Administration Prepares Reversal on Covering All Antidepressants and Antipsychotics
Linda
Psychiatric Times. Vol. 26 No. 12
WASHINGTON REPORT
Medicare Prepares Reversal on Covering All Antidepressants and
Antipsychotics
Stephen Barlas
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The Medicare program appears to have reversed itself and now is
seriously considering removing anti-depressants and antipsychotics
from its “protected” status on Part D drug plan formularies. Six drug
categories—immunosuppressants, antidepressants, antipsychotics,
anticonvulsants, antiretrovirals, and antineo-plastics—are protected.
This means that Part D plans must offer “all or substantially all” of
the chemically distinct products in those categories. Elsewhere on the
formulary, the plan needs to offer only 2 product selections in each
category, often a brand name and a generic substitute.
“I am not naive; they are reserving the right at a future date to
whack out antidepressants and antipsychotics,” acknowledged Andrew
Sperling, director of federal legislative advocacy for the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)".
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Thank God!
Americans are bankrupt on account of having to foot the bill for all
the dope which dope fiends like to munch down like candy.
However, there are a few people who honestly can't cope with life
without the help of an AD.
People can say what they will, but, the 60 year old MAOI"s are 1000
times safer and more effective than any of the other newer stimulants
being sold as antidepressants will ever be.
If I were among those who can't cope with life without munching down
an AD, I'd be storming the halls of the US congress to make sure at
least one MAOI is among the two AD's which the USG will continue to
pay for.
Regards,