title: Riding the rollercoaster: the ups and downs in out-of-pocket spending under the standard Medicare drug benefit.
abstract: This study projects how much Medicare beneficiaries who sign up for the standard Part D drug benefit in 2006 will pay in quarterly out-of-pocket payments through 2008. In the first year we estimate that about 38 percent of enrollees will hit the benefit's no-coverage zone, known as the "doughnut hole," and that 14 percent will exceed the catastrophic threshold. Because drug spending is highly persistent over time, beneficiaries who experience the biggest gaps in coverage are likely to do so year after year, with potentially serious financial consequences.
authors: University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA. BStuart@rx.umaryland.edu
authors: Bruce
authors: B
authors: Stuart
authors: Becky A
authors: BA
authors: Briesacher
authors: Dennis G
authors: DG
authors: Shea
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Cooper
authors: Fatima S
authors: FS
authors: Baysac
authors: M Rhona
authors: MR
authors: Limcangco
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States