Managed care DUR required in Kennedy/Dingell bill; Medicare cancer trial coverage bill introduced.
Executive Summary
DUR REQUIREMENT INCLUDED IN KENNEDY/DINGELL MANAGED CARE BILL as part of the "Health Insurance Bill of Rights" introduced Feb. 25. The "Quality Assurance and Patient Protection Act" (S 353/HR 820) introduced by Senate Labor Committee ranking Democrat Kennedy (D-Mass.) and House Commerce Committee ranking Democrat Dingell (D-Mich.) requires that any managed care plan that "covers prescription medications...must have a plan to encourage appropriate drug use and monitor and reduce illness arising from improper use."