A recently published study presents a mixed view of theMedicare Part D prescription drug benefit’s impact: While more seniors havecoverage and fewer are skimping on daily needs to pay for drugs, many of thesickest patients still cannot afford their medication.
Cost-related adherence to prescription plans under Part Dis better overall, according to the report, whose findings appear in the April 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Only 11.5% of people didn’t fill orreceive prescriptions because of the cost in 2006, compared with 14.1% the year beforePart D took effect in 2006.
However, report authors say there was nosignificant change in the skipping of medication among the sickestbeneficiaries who require the most medication. One reason for this problem could be the Part D”doughnut hole,” a gap in coverage between $2,250 and $5,100 in whichpatients must cover the full cost of their drugs. People whose prescriptiondrug needs are costly enough to fall within this gap might not have thefinancial wherewithal to get their medication, and have no recourse within theMedicare system.
