Texas Medicare CE | Texas Medicare Drug Coverage CE| Texas Medicare Drug Affordability CE

COURSE DESCRIPTION “Navigating Medicare Drug Affordability Challenges” is a Texas Department of Insurance-approved 5.0 CE, classroom-equivalent Medicare-related online course for Texas Insurance Agents. This course was designed for insurance agents, at all levels of experience, to strengthen their foundational knowledge and understanding of Medicare drug coverage, including both Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D, regulatory requirements, and the evolving Medicare drug affordability landscape. Key drug-related provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 are reviewed, as well as changes to Medicare drug payment structures, and their resulting impact on beneficiary out-of-pocket drug costs. When sharing this information with beneficiaries, agents are better-equipped to engage in discussions with their healthcare providers regarding drug affordability challenges and options for decreasing out-of-pocket drug costs. Insurance agents will also learn how to access publicly available federal resources and tools to support beneficiaries in understanding their drug coverage options. These resources include the CMS Prescription Drug Benefit Manual (Chapter 6), CMS.gov, Medicare.gov, the Medicare Plan Finder, the FDA Orange Book, the FDA Purple Book, and other government tools. This course does not promote or compare specific insurance plans. Instead, it focuses on regulatory knowledge, consumer protections, and strategies for helping beneficiaries engage in informed discussions with their healthcare providers about drug affordability challenges, and options for decreasing out-of-pocket drug costs. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completing this course, Insurance Agents will be able to: Explain the regulatory framework governing Medicare prescription drug coverage, including recent changes introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Identify the key components of Medicare drug payment structures and describe how these drug payment structures influence benefciary out-of-pocket costs. Access publicly available federal resources including: the CMS Prescription Drug Benefit Manual (Chapter 6), CMS.gov, Medicare.gov, Medicare Plan Finder, FDA's Orange Book, the FDA's Purple Book, and other government tools, to support beneficiaries in understanding their drug coverage options and the regulatory framework influencing these options. Analyze how evolving insurer cost sharing designs may contribute to beneficiary confusion and affordability challenges. Discuss strategies beneficiaries can use when communicating with healthcare providers about drug affordability concerns, including therapeutic alternatives and formulary considerations. Apply regulatory knowledge to real world scenarios in helping beneficiaries understand their options without recommending or promoting any specific insurance plan. INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS Desiree M. Shelling is a licensed insurance agent and retired pharmacist. Her professional background includes: Pharmacy educator as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacist Preceptor, Director of the Professional Experience Program for graduating pharmacy seniors, PBM Clinical Pharmacist Consultant, Oncology Pharmacist, Hospital Pharmacy Business Manager, Hospital and Clinic Operations and Administration, Medicare Policy Education, Beneficiary Advocacy, and Community Organizer promoting medication education literacy for Medicare beneficiaries.

Medicare drug coverage is complicated and agents feel the pressure.

You Will Learn To:

Reduce Medicare Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs

Benefit from the expertise of a Licensed Insurance Agent, Retired Pharmacist, Pharmacy Educator, and Medicare Beneficiary with a career spanning 40+ years of invaluable experience in the healthcare industry.

Understand the Medicare Drug Coverage "Rules of Engagement" and the cost-saving drug provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Learn the "Rules of Engagement" influenced by stakeholders that, directly or indirectly, influence Medicare out-of-pocket drug costs. You will gain a deeper understanding of how regulatory requirements and drug cost payment structures influence Medicare out-of-pocket drug costs.

Develop Call-to-Action Plans for Agents and Beneficiaries to Unlock Opportunities to Overcome Medicare Drug Affordability Challenges.

Unlock the path to crafting Action Plans for Agents and Beneficiaries to overcome Medicare drug affordability challenges by embracing the 'Rules of Engagement' to translate knowledge into actionable steps. Collaborative efforts are vital for achieving the course's ultimate goal of beneficiaries overcoming drug afforability challenges and decreasing out-of-pocket drug costs.

About the course

"Navigating Medicare Drug Affordability Challenges," is a 5.0 credit continuing education Medicare-related, classroom equivalent course. It addresses drug coverage-related issues of beneficiaries enrolled in Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and standalaone Prescription drug plans, which cover medications under Medicare Part B as well as under Medicare Part D. GENERAL COURSE DESIGN Modules: This course is comprised of 13 modules. Two additional modules include Course Instructions and the Course Evaluation leading to a total listing of 15 chapters. The 150 lessons represents the total number of topics represented as paragraphs. COURSE PROGRESSION Each topic and chapter is listed as a pre-requisite which must be reviewed before being allowed to move ahead to the next lesson within a module, and ultimately taking the module's quiz. You can follow your progression through each module and its topics by referring to the left margin of the screen. No skipping ahead is allowed. The progression is sequential. This course allows you to stop and resume at your own pace. The course will pick up wherever you left off. MODULE QUIZZES Assessment of content comprehension is achieved using scenario-based cases and questions to enhance real-world problem-solving skills reflected in the daily interactions between agents and the beneficiaries you serve. In most cases there is only one quiz per module. At least 2 modules have 2 quizzes due to the information density of the topics presented. To obtain a Certificate of Completion, all lessons must be completed with each quiz requiring a minimum 70% pass rate. Quiz retakes are allowed. Knowledge-Check Questions may be embedded within a module to assess comprehension of material just presented, as well as to keep the agent agent engaged in the lesson. The embedded questions are not graded, but must be answered to continue the forward progression through the course. After the successful completion of all reading, Knowledge Checks, and module quizzes with a 70% passrate, agents must complete the Course's Evaluation before a Certificate of Completion is available for immediate printing or saving for later printing. COURSE GOALS Reviewing CMS and regulatory requirements governing Medicare drug coverage. Reviewing the entities and stakeholders that impact Medicare drug coverage and out-of-pocket drug costs. Developing separate Agent and Beneficiary Call-to-Action (CTA) Plans to overcome Medicare drug affordability challenges. It's transferring knowledge into action that will make a difference in the lives of those that we serve. For successfully completing this course, starting, July 1, 2026, you will receive a complimentary copy of a Resource Guide. This Guide will provide tools and access to resources that you will find helpful in seeking answers and solutions related to Medicare Drug Coverage.

Find solutions for overcoming Medicare drug afforability challenges. Sign up today.

Unlock the solution to Medicare affordability challenges with access to tools and resources to use after successfully completing this continuing education course.

$34.99