SPOTLIGHT: Baltimore activates disaster response system to monitor Medicare Part D benefit

In Baltimore, local officials are so worried about the problems Medicare Part D may cause when it goes into effect that they are activating a disease surveillance system designed to track epidemics. Officials say the number of people living at or below the poverty line in the city creates a high risk that many experience interruptions in coverage. "We are treating it like a potential threat to public health in Baltimore," states Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein. Article