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In March of 2010, President Obama signed into law two separate Federal Acts, which included modifications for Medicare and Medicaid. The Acts are titled the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA). As it pertains to future Medicare coverage, one of these Federal Acts sought to update coverage guidelines for certain classes of drugs which have been traditionally excluded from coverage. Starting on January 1, 2013, Medicare Part D will cover benzodiazepines and will cover barbiturates used in the treatment of epilepsy, cancer, or a chronic mental disorder.

Starting in 2014, Medicaid programs will no longer be able to exclude smoking cessation agents, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines from coverage under Medicaid. Because Part D covered drugs are defined generally as those drugs that are covered under Medicaid, this new provision will result in a small expansion of Part D coverage of barbiturates.

You can read more at: http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/InfoByTopic/Reform/10_04.08.MAandPDChanges.htm