The Medicare Part D Drug Program: Making The Most of the Benefit, by Jack E. Fincham. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers; 2007. 206 pages, $19.95 (paperback).
As suggested by the title, this book is intended for the lay audience and provides a detailed explanation of the recently enacted Medicare drug benefit program. The author explains how the drug benefit program works, how to apply for the benefit, and provides additional sources of information for details. The book contains specific guidelines about how to choose among the multitude of drug benefit insurance plans being offered and recommends ways to use a pharmacist as a key resource for both medication and drug benefit guidance. The book is designed with numerous headings, subheadings, and bulleted lists to help the reader scan the information. The content is organized into 11 chapters, 6 appendices, a glossary, and an index.
The first chapter provides basic information about all components of Medicare and a detailed explanation about the Part D Drug Benefit. Subsequent chapters focus on topics such as types of drug plans, determining ones' eligibility, choosing a plan, determining whether ones' medications are covered by various programs, choosing a pharmacist, dealing with formularies, using established medication management programs, preventive care services covered by Medicare, and taking drugs correctly. The final chapter provides a concise summary of the key points and offers information anticipating likely changes in Medicare in the next few years. Each chapter contains tables, figures, photographs, bulleted lists, and photocopies of Web pages that supplement the narrative text. The 6 appendices provide extensive sources (Web sites and other contact information) for obtaining additional information and assistance with Medicare and related services (eg, senior citizen information, Web sites for information about drugs, information about appeal processes, etc). The glossary includes definitions of numerous terms important to understand both Medicare (eg, annual coordinated election period, coverage gap, etc) and medications (eg, formulary, generic drug, etc). The index is a comprehensive listing helpful for finding specific topics within the text.
The book contains a detailed and comprehensive explanation of all relevant aspects of the complex topic of the Medicare Part D Drug Benefit Program. The credentials and position of the author as a professor of pharmacy and public health clearly enhances the accuracy and relevance of the information. Authoritative references and supplemental sources are provided at the end of each chapter. The author clearly addresses not only the specifics of the Part D Program but also offers many ideas for the reader who is trying to wade through the complexity of Medicare to obtain and make correct use of medications. The author strikes an excellent balance between providing complex information and offering simple "how to" advice about the topic. The reading level of the book is necessarily at a fairly high level but at the same time is concise and accessible, thus could be used by healthcare professionals to teach those with limited health literacy. At times the information is repeated more than once; however, given the extensive details necessary to cover the topic, repetition may actually be useful. Some content is slightly out of date because the legislation enacting Medicare Part D occurred in 2006. However, the majority of the information is helpful and timely for the person, family member, and/or health professional who needs guidance to make use of the Medicare Part D Benefit.
In summary, The Medicare Part D Drug Program: Making the Most of the Benefit is not only a timely and useful text intended for the lay audience but also useful for healthcare professionals who want to understand the benefit and guide their patients toward enhanced medication management.
-Sharon W. Utz, PhD, RN
Associate Professor, University of Virginia, School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA