title: Prescription drug coverage among elderly and disabled Americans: can Medicare-Part D reduce inequities in access?
abstract: This paper explores the determinants of demand for prescription drug coverage among the elderly population in the United States, using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and seeks to analyse the impact that the Medicare prescription drug coverage bill (Medicare-Part D) has on Medicare beneficiaries. The results indicate that individuals who are Hispanic, black, or of another race or ethnicity, over the age of 74, not married, in poor health, fall into the low- to middle-income brackets, and have less than a high school degree are more likely to be covered through a public program, more likely to be uninsured for prescription medicine outlays, and less likely to have private prescription drug coverage. The paper concludes that there is cause for considerable concern for low income citizens who have significant prescription drug outlays, and, therefore, the greatest need because their prescription drug costs may not be covered beyond a certain limit unless they reach catastrophic proportions. This continues to raise equity in access concerns among elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: LSE Health, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London, England. p.g.kanavos@lse.ac.uk
authors.forename: Panos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kanavos
authors.forename: Marin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gemmill-Toyama
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000191:economics; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D054524:Medicare Part D / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017059:Models, Econometric; D009310:National Health Insurance, United States / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs