Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Ability to pay and the decision to medicate

B Stuart1, J Grana

  • 1Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore 21201-1563, USA.

Medical Care
|February 25, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Elderly individuals with better health insurance and higher incomes are more likely to use prescription drugs. Economic factors significantly influence medication decisions, potentially impacting the health of low-income seniors lacking drug coverage.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Core concepts in statistics and research methods. Part 2: clinical research principles and observational studies.

BJA education·2025
Same author

The Management of Chronic Insomnia in Young Children: A Survey of UK General Practice.

Behavioral sleep medicine·2025
Same author

Bisphosphonate drug holidays in osteoporosis according to fracture risk profile.

Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA·2024
Same author

Single-shot measurements of pulse-front tilt in intense ps laser pulses and its effect on accelerated electron and ion beam characteristics (invited).

The Review of scientific instruments·2022
Same author

Do patient characteristics matter when calculating sample size for eczema clinical trials?

Skin health and disease·2022
Same author

Topical preparations for the treatment of mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris: systematic review and network meta-analysis.

The British journal of dermatology·2021

Area of Science:

  • Health Economics
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Pharmaceutical Policy

Background:

  • Access to healthcare services is influenced by ability to pay.
  • Economic determinants of prescription drug use among the elderly are less understood.
  • Hypothesis: Higher income and better insurance increase elderly medication use.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between economic factors (income, insurance) and prescription drug use in the elderly.
  • To analyze how ability to pay affects medication decisions for common health problems.

Main Methods:

  • Survey of 4,066 elderly Pennsylvania Medicare beneficiaries.
  • Data collected on health insurance, income, and medication use for 23 health conditions.
  • Logistic and Poisson regression models used to analyze medication decisions.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Elderly with Medicare supplementation were 6-17% more likely to use prescription medicine.
  • Prescription drug coverage increased odds of treatment for 10 of 22 conditions.
  • Higher income ($18,000+) correlated with an 18% higher likelihood of using prescription drugs.

Conclusions:

  • Economic factors significantly influence elderly medication decisions.
  • Lack of drug coverage and low income may negatively impact elderly health.
  • Insurance and income are critical determinants of prescription drug access for seniors.