Workshop, Q&A at Annenberg Center in Rancho Mirage to focus on Medicare Part D plan (The Desert Sun)
Medicare Part D (prescription drug plan) is the topic of a free workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 1 at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower. A question-and-answer session is included.

House Committee Report Finds Medicare Pays Up To 30% More For Medications Under Part D Plans (Medical News Today)
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform during a hearing on Thursday released a report that found the Medicare drug benefit in its first two years has paid about 30% more for prescription drugs than Medicaid would have paid for the same medications, costing the program about $3.7 billion, the Los Angeles Times reports (Gaouette, Los Angeles Times, 7/25).

Prime Therapeutics Supports CMS Proposal to Limit Spread Pricing in Medicare Part D Administration (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Prime Therapeutics today commented on CMS's recently released proposal to require "spread pricing" by pharmacy benefits managers to be appropriately accounted for and reported as administrative costs to plans.

Medicare program gets funds (Mobile Press-Register)
A state Medicare program will be funded through October after receiving $6.3 million from federal sources, but 4,000 participants will temporarily lose coverage.