Cost minimization of medicare part D prescription drug plan expenditures.
OBJECTIVE
To minimize out-of-pocket prescription drug plan (PDP) expenditures by Medicare beneficiaries.


METHODS
Cost-minimization analysis.


METHODS
Trained student pharmacists from 6 California pharmacy schools provided expert guidance on Medicare Part D PDPs to beneficiaries through interventions at statewide outreach events. Demographic and insurance information for 2008 was collected via survey. Cost information for the beneficiary's current PDP for 2008 and for the least expensive PDP for 2008 was obtained using the Medicare Plan Finder tool (http://www.medicare.gov).


RESULTS
Data were collected from 250 beneficiaries at 22 outreach events. For the cost-minimization analysis, data were excluded from 72 beneficiaries who were not enrolled in a stand-alone PDP before the intervention and from another 23 beneficiaries for whom information regarding their current PDP or prescription drug profile was incomplete. Of the remaining 155 study participants, 39.4% were male, the mean (SD) age was 74.6 (8.7) years, and they were taking a mean (SD) of 5.3 (3.5) prescription drugs each month. In addition, 68 beneficiaries (43.9%) had limited or no English proficiency, and 85 beneficiaries (54.8%) were enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. In total, 89.7% of beneficiaries could have realized cost savings by switching to a different PDP. The median annual potential cost savings was $98 per beneficiary but this varied as a function of subsidy level.


CONCLUSIONS
Targeted community outreach services to Medicare Part D beneficiaries can help optimize patient selection of a PDP, thereby resulting in lower out-of-pocket expenditures.
Patel
Rajul A
RA
Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA. rpatel@pacific.edu
Lipton
Helene Levens
HL
Cutler
Timothy W
TW
Smith
Amanda R
AR
Tsunoda
Shirley M
SM
Stebbins
Marilyn R
MR
D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000379:methods; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D054524:Medicare Part D / Q000191:economics*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D014481:United States
D055553:Prescription Drugs