Casten Introduces Bill to Support Seniors Access to COVID-19 Treatment Under Medicare Part D
Downers Grove, IL – U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Ensuring Seniors' Access to COVID Treatments Act, which would require Medicare Part D plans to cover drugs to treat COVID without cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other utilization management barriers. Virtually all Medicare beneficiaries are at a greater risk of becoming seriously ill if they are infected with COVID. While previous pieces of legislation covered COVID testing and waived cost-sharing for Medicare beneficiaries under Part B, Casten urges that the same needs to be done for COVID treatments under Part D.
Casten said, "As our country continues to grapple with the damaging effects of COVID-19, our most vulnerable populations are at highest risk. Medicare beneficiaries deserve the certainty that, if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, they have access to important drugs when treating this deadly virus. I will continue to push for this vital legislation to be in the next emergency package and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this across the finish line."
The Ensuring Seniors' Access to COVID Treatments Act was endorsed by the Medicare Rights Center and Center for Medicare Advocacy.