Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35430735›Full record

ArticleHealth services research2022

Consequences of forgoing prescription drug subsidies among low-income Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes.

Alexandra Glynn, Inmaculada Hernandez, Eric T Roberts

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Alexandra GlynnDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3423-2980
Inmaculada HernandezSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Eric T RobertsDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7439-0799

Funding

Financial assistance for low-income Medicare beneficiaries: Using natural experiments to assess effects on care and health outcomesK01HS026727 · AHRQ · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI ROBERTS, ERIC T · 2019 to 2022
$545k
AHRQ HHS K01 HS026727
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe objective is to estimate the take-up of the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes and examine differences in out-of-pocket costs and prescription drug use between LIS enrollees and LIS-eligible non-enrollees. The LIS reduces out-of-pocket drug costs for low-income beneficiaries; however, not all LIS-eligible individuals are enrolled. Take-up of the LIS, and consequences of forgoing this benefit among beneficiaries with diabetes, remains unknown. DATA SOURCES: Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare administrative data from 2008 to 2016. STUDY

designWe conducted two analyses among beneficiaries with diabetes. First, we estimated LIS take-up stratified by income (≤100% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL] and >100% to ≤150% of FPL). Second, to assess the consequences of forgoing the LIS among near-poor beneficiaries (incomes >100% to ≤150% of FPL), we conducted propensity score-weighted regression analyses to compare out-of-pocket costs, the prescription drug use, and cost-related medication non-adherence among LIS enrollees and LIS-eligible non-enrollees. DATA COLLECTION/DATA EXTRACTION: N/A. PRINCIPAL

findingsAmong Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, 68.1% of those with incomes >100% to ≤150% of FPL received the LIS, while 90.3% with incomes ≤100% of FPL received the LIS. Among near-poor beneficiaries, LIS-eligible non-enrollees incurred higher annual out-of-pocket drug spending ($518; 95 [in USD]% CI: $370 [in USD], $667 [in USD]; p < 0.001), filled 7.3 fewer prescriptions for diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia drugs (95% CI: -11.1, -3.5; p < 0.001), and were 8.9 percentage points more likely to report skipping drugs due to cost (95% CI: 0.3, 18.0; p = 0.04), all compared to LIS enrollees.

conclusionsDespite providing substantial financial assistance with prescription drug costs, the LIS is under-utilized among beneficiaries with chronic conditions requiring routine medication use. As policy makers discuss Part D reforms to address rising out-of-pocket drug costs, they should consider strategies to increase participation in existing programs that alleviate cost burdens among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

Indexed as

Diabetes MellitusMedicare Part DPrescription DrugsAgedDrug CostsHealth ExpendituresHumansPovertyUnited StatesPrescription Drugsdiabetes mellitusdrug costshealth expendituresMedicare Part Dolder adultsout-of-pocket costspoverty

Identifiers

PMID35430735
PMCPMC9441281

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.