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Disparities in prescription drug insurance coverage
1Health Statistics Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa. millway@statcan.ca
Objectives:
This article examines socioeconomic differences in supplementary insurance for prescription drugs among Canadians aged 15 or older and how the availability of such insurance affects prescription drug use.
Data Source:
The data on prescription drug insurance coverage and drug use are from the cross-sectional Health file of the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey (NPHS) conducted by Statistics Canada. The sample size of the population aged 15 or older was 70,884.
Analytical Techniques:
Rates of insurance coverage for prescription drug services were calculated. All summary estimates were age-adjusted using the 1996/97 population of Canada (both sexes).
Main Results:
Among people aged 15 or older, 61% were covered for prescription medications in 1996/97. Sixty-five percent of workers reported coverage, while those who were not working were less likely to have benefits (52%). Only 38% of lower income groups had insurance compared with 74% of the highest income group. Regardless of the number of chronic diseases individuals had, those with drug insurance were more likely to report taking medication.