Vulnerable Populations To Face Higher Costs Under Medicare Rx Benefit

New Medicare Drug Benefit May Not Equally Benefit All Seniors

The new Medicare drug benefit is likely to result in modest to moderate declines in out-of-pocket spending for seniors who do not receive low-income subsidies, but vulnerable populations will not share equitably in those savings, a team led by Walid Gellad reports in the January/February Health Affairs. Using data from the 1996-2000 Medicare Expenditure Panel survey, the researchers estimate that many racial and ethnic minorities, near-poor people, and people with severe chronic conditions will face higher costs than others eligible for the standard Medicare benefit.

http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/1/248


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