23 pages. "The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) added a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program, which became effective January 1, 2006. To assist Medicare beneficiaries with their prescription drug costs until the new benefit became available, the MMA also required the establishment of a temporary program, the Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card and Transitional Assistance Program, which began in June 2004.... Drug card sponsors we interviewed generally reported little difficulty obtaining discounts for beneficiaries and meeting CMS's requirements to provide pharmacy access for beneficiaries." [GAO-06-299R, published Jan. 13, 2006, released Feb. 21, 2006]

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