Prescription Drug Coverage And Seniors: Findings From A 2003 National Survey
- Dana Safran ( [email protected] ) directs the Health Insurance at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. Patricia Neuman is vice president and director of the Medicare Policy Project, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), in Washington, D.C. Cathy Schoen is vice president for health policy, research, and evaluation at the Commonwealth Fund in New York City. Michelle Kitchman is a senior policy analyst at the KFF. Barbara Cooper is senior program director; Medicare's Future, at Commonwealth. Ira Wilson is an associate professor of medicine at Tufts-New England Medical Center and the Tufts University School of Medicine. Angela Li is a research associate; Hong Chang, a statistician; and William Rogers, a senior scientist, at the Health Institute.
Abstract
ABSTRACT:
Beginning in 2006 the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) will offer pharmacy benefits to forty-two million Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. In a 2003 national survey of Medicare beneficiaries age sixty-five and older, more than one-quarter reported no prescription coverage, and nearly half of low-income seniors in some states lacked coverage. Wide coverage differences among states highlight implementation challenges and the need for tailored enrollment strategies. Evidence of Medicaid's highly effective coverage delineates the importance of assuring this group's continued protection under Part D plans. Reports of complex drug regimens, multiple prescribing physicians and pharmacies, nonadherence, and reimportation demonstrate the challenges of integrating seniors’ prescription care. We discuss MMA's potential to improve quality and the need to monitor performance.
