Feature Story

September 27, 2007

Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Progress Report: Chartpack

From The Commonwealth Fund:

In the first in-depth look at seniors' experiences with Medicare's prescription drug benefit, a new survey finds that the majority of seniors who lacked drug coverage in 2005---before the establishment of the benefit---obtained it in 2006.

Even with Part D coverage, however, many seniors reported relatively high out-of-pocket spending in 2006.

The survey, which included self-reported responses from more than 16,000 noninstitutionalized seniors, was conducted in the fall of 2006 by Tufts-New England Medical Center with support from the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund.

Findings were published in an Aug. 21 Health Affairs Web Exclusive article, "Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Progress Report: Findings from a 2006 National Survey of Seniors."

According to the survey, about 50 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries have drug coverage under Part D, another 31 percent under employer-sponsored plans, and 3 percent through the VA.

Not surprisingly, seniors without any coverage reported using significantly fewer medications but had higher rates of out-of-pocket spending and "cost-related nonadherence" (forgoing or delaying filling or refilling prescriptions) than seniors either in Part D plans or with other sources of coverage.

Among seniors with coverage, those in Part D plans had higher rates of drug out-of-pocket spending in excess of $300 per month than those in employer plans or with other sources of coverage, despite taking a similar or smaller number of medications.

Rates of cost-related nonadherence among Part D enrollees were about twice as high as they were for seniors with employer plans or VA benefits.

Low-income assistance under Part D is widely viewed as a great benefit to seniors with limited income and assets.

Read more from this post.