This is an email I received from my U.S. Senator Robert Menendez regarding the phasing out of antidepressants and antipsychotics under Medicare Part D prescriptions which I believe will also influence Medicaid and private insurers to possibly follow suite.

Dear Mr. XXXX:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding "protected classes" of drugs under Medicare Part D. Your opinion is very important to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you on this important issue.

When Medicare Part D became law in 2003, Congress recognized that certain classes of drugs should receive certain protections, so that beneficiaries would have access to all available medications. As you know, on January 6, 2014, CMS announced a proposed rule that would, beginning in 2015, eliminate protections for Medicare Part D beneficiaries for antidepressants and immunosuppressants, and eliminate these same protections for anti-psychotic drugs beginning in 2016. While CMS has cited potential cost savings as a reason for proposing these changes, I believe that this will reduce access to needed medication and lead to increased health care costs overall.

I share your concerns about CMS's proposal and the impact it would have on beneficiaries which is why, on February 5, 2014, I joined every other member of the Senate Finance Committee in sending a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner opposing this proposed rule. This overwhelming bipartisan letter will hopefully demonstrate to CMS that eroding or eliminating this critical beneficiary protection is unacceptable. Thank you again for sharing your views and please know that I will keep them in mind as I continue monitoring this very important issue.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance. I invite you to visit my website (Home | Robert Menendez-US Senator for New Jersey) to learn more about how I am standing up for New Jersey families in the United States Senate.