Study Shows Medicare Prescription Drug Benefits Helped Subscribers

According to a study, out of pocket costs for beneficiaries were lowered by 17% in 2006 by Medicare Prescription Drug Benefits. This works out to about $9 per month. The study was published on the Annals of Internal Medicine Website.

Various comparisions were made in the study. Individuals enrolled in Part D were compared with those who did not sign up. An additional 14 days worth of medicine were saved. This also amounted to a 19% increase in prescription drug use. It seems that increased prescription drug usage could lead to less doctoral visits and further decrease in costs.

According to G. Caleb Alexander from the University of Chicago Medical Center, there was a modest but significant effect on both savings and drug use. He added that there was not much clarity of what extent Part D would help money savings and obtain drugs that they could not afford otherwise.

There is an audio editorial that accompanies the report. This says that the study is insufficient since it did not examine health outcomes of the benefit. The federal government has not released data on Medicare claims and this could be the reason for the lack of clarity on the subject.