Dual-eligibles are happy with Medicare Part D, survey finds
About 90% of seniors, including dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, are happy with Medicare's prescription drug program, a new survey reveals.
Ninety-five percent of those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid report being satisfied with the program, according to the survey, which is conducted annually by Medicare Today, an initiative of the Healthcare Leadership Council, and KRC Research. HLC is a coalition of executives primarily from acute-care healthcare systems and pharmaceutical companies. Dual eligibles typically have multiple chronic illnesses and notably make up a large percentage of nursing home residents.
The 90% mark signifies a gain of 12 percentage points over the seven-year life of the Medicare Part D benefit. KRC Research randomly called 2,400 people 65 or older with landlines from Aug. 31 to Sept. 10 and interviewed just more than 800 with Medicare Rx plans.
“It's very rare to get nine out of 10 people to agree on anything, but Medicare Part D has sustained that level of acceptance and popularity. Beneficiaries view Part D as affordable, reliable and user-friendly,” Mary R. Grealy, Chairman of Medicare Today and president of the Healthcare Leadership Council, said in a statement.
A report released in June from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General found that the vast majority of medications used by dual eligibles are available through Part D formularies.
