Persistent medication affordability problems among disabled Medicare beneficiaries after Part D, 2006-2011

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Economics
• Gerontology

Background:

• Disabled Medicare beneficiaries often have multiple chronic conditions and rely heavily on medications.
• Limited financial resources place this population at high risk for cost-related medication nonadherence (CRN).
• Medicare Part D, implemented in 2006, aims to improve medication affordability for beneficiaries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine national trends in medication affordability among disabled Medicare beneficiaries.
• To analyze these trends stratified by the burden of chronic conditions (morbidity).

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a nationally representative survey of nonelderly disabled Medicare participants from 2006 to 2011.
• Employed multivariate logistic regression analyses to estimate annual rates of medication affordability.
• Measured cost-related medication nonadherence and reduced spending on basic needs to afford medicines.

Main Results:

• Between 2006-2011, 31.6%-35.6% of disabled beneficiaries reported CRN, and 17.7%-21.8% reduced spending on basic needs.
• Beneficiaries with three or more chronic conditions consistently experienced worse affordability issues.
• In 2011, CRN was 37.3% for those with ≥3 morbidities vs. 28.1% for others; reduced spending was 25.4% vs. 15.7%.

Conclusions:

• Disabled Medicare beneficiaries continue to face significant difficulties affording prescription drugs.
• Despite Medicare Part D, financial access to necessary medications remains inadequate for this population.
• Urgent policy interventions are required to address the medication affordability crisis among disabled Medicare beneficiaries.