Do drug benefits help Medicare beneficiaries afford prescribed drugs?
We surveyed a random sample of 1,500 elderly people with chronic diseases who were enrolled in eight Medicare+Choice plans with a zero-premium, dollars 200-dollars 300 annual drug benefit and no deductible. An estimated 32 percent did not fill a prescription or reduced a prescribed dosage because of out-of-pocket costs. Lower drug benefits, higher out-of-pocket costs, lower income, and poorer health were associated with underuse of medications. Drug benefits with high out-of-pocket costs might not be effective for beneficiaries who use medications for chronic diseases, especially those with low incomes.
Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Thomas.Rector@med.va.gov
Thomas S
TS
Rector
Patricia J
PJ
Venus
D000368:Aged; D003363:Cost Control; D016527:Drug Costs; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States