‘08 Medicare Part D Plan Premiums Show Effect of Strong Competition

       Due in part to strong competitive bidding by health and prescription drug plans (PDPs) and the choices of beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) anticipates that the actual average premium paid by beneficiaries for standard Part D coverage in 2008 will be roughly $25. This is nearly 40% lower than originally projected when the benefit was established in 2003 and lower than projected earlier this year.
       “Competition and smart choices have been two important factors in holding down the cost of the Medicare drug benefit,” says CMS Acting Deputy Administrator Herb B. Kuhn. “Medicare drug benefit bids continue to be well below projections because of slower than expected growth in prescription drug costs generally, in part because of increased generic usage, effective plan negotiation, and strong competition.”
       The estimated actual average premium for 2008 of roughly $25 for basic coverage is far below the original estimate for 2008 of $41, and it is even below the most recent estimate of $27 from the 2008 Mid-Session Review.
       Approximately 87% of beneficiaries enrolled in a stand-alone PDP will have access to Medicare drug plans that cost them the same or less than their coverage in 2007. Thus, the majority of beneficiaries could avoid any premium increase in 2008 by enrolling in a lower-cost stand-alone PDP in their region. Moreover, many beneficiaries have access to a Medicare Advantage plan with lower prescription drug premiums. It will be important for beneficiaries to compare their coverage options for 2008 based on overall cost, coverage, and convenience in order to select the plan that best meets their needs.  

KCI Launches Next Generation of V.A.C. System

       Kinetic Concepts, Inc., a leading global advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces company, announces initial favorable results from customer placements of its next generation V.A.C.^® Therapy System, the InfoV.A.C.^® As a part of the launch process, customers evaluated the therapy’s enhanced capabilities, which include intuitive, easy-to-use operating features designed to simplify training and improve patient compliance. Caregiver response has been favorable, and the new system received high ratings in post-launch customer surveys.
       The InfoV.A.C. Therapy System enhancements were based largely on input from patients and caregivers. “Time is critical for patients and nurses, and the Seal Check^TM feature saves time in trying to achieve a seal,” says Sue Mendez-Eastman, RN, a certified wound nurse and a key opinion leader in the area of advanced wound care. “The Digital Wound Image Analysis feature helps in the documentation of wound healing and facilitates the dissemination of wound information among multidisciplinary teams. Also, InfoV.A.C.’s compact design works really well in a patient room that is already cluttered with so much equipment.”
       V.A.C. Therapy’s clinical benefits and economic value are supported by an extensive body of medical evidence, including 14 randomized controlled trials, more than 350 peer-reviewed publications, and references in more than 50 medical textbooks.
       For more information, visit www.kci1.com.

WOCNCB to Award Three Certification Grants

       The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB) announces it will award three certification grants in 2008 to qualified candidates to cover fees, up to $450, to certify or recertify through the current WOCNCB process. Participants are eligible for a certification grant if they are in the process of becoming (re)certified by having done one of the following:
• Applied for (re)certification
• Scheduled an exam date for (re)certification
• Recertified or submitted application via the Professional Growth Program (PGP)
• Earned (re)credentialing within the last calendar year
• Completed an accredited WOC education program within the last calendar year.
       Applicants must be currently working as a WOC nurse or foot and nail care nurse and cannot have applied for and received a certification grant within the last five years. The application and supporting materials must be submitted to the WOCNCB office and postmarked by January 31, 2008.
       Visit www.wocncb.org/whatsnew/#2 or call 888-496-2622 for more information.