Medicare Part D had mixed effects. Although it reduced Hispanic/white disparities related to prescription drugs among seniors, it increased the African American/white disparity in total annual spending on prescription drugs. Medicare Part D is the single most important extension to Medicare since the program's inception.
Full Answer
Did Medicare Part D reduce disparities?
The implementation of Medicare Part D significantly reduced the degree of pro-poorness in public drug expenditure. The poor gained less of the increased public drug expenditure than the rich in both relative and absolute terms.
What is the main problem with Medicare Part D?
The real problem with Medicare Part D plans is that they weren't set up with the intent of benefiting seniors. They were set up to benefit: –Pharmacies, by having copays for generic medications that are often far more than the actual cost of most of the medications.
What led to the passing of Medicare Part D?
Rather than demand that the plan be budget neutral, President Bush supported up to $400 billion in new spending for the program. In 2003, President Bush signed the Medicare Modernization Act, which authorized the creation of the Medicare Part D program. The program was implemented in 2006.
Which factors impact Medicare Part D costs?
The total cost of Medicare Part D depends on several factors: including your income, when you enroll, the number and type of drugs you take, and the pharmacy you use (whether it is in-network or preferred).
When did Medicare Part D become effective?
2006Medicare Part D Prescription Drug benefit Under the MMA, private health plans approved by Medicare became known as Medicare Advantage Plans. These plans are sometimes called "Part C" or "MA Plans.” The MMA also expanded Medicare to include an optional prescription drug benefit, “Part D,” which went into effect in 2006.
Why is Medicare Part D so expensive?
Another reason some prescriptions may cost more than others under Medicare Part D is that brand-name drugs typically cost more than generic drugs. And specialty drugs used to treat certain health conditions may be especially expensive. Read more about generic vs. brand-name medications.
What was the impact of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act?
Summary: Implementation of MMA has affected the entire healthcare continuum by reducing pharmaceutical reimbursement rates and health system revenues and increasing prescription drug copayments, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions.
What was the impact of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act quizlet?
What was the impact of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act? The Act created Medicare Part D, the drug prescription program.
How does Medicare Part D work?
It is an optional prescription drug program for people on Medicare. Medicare Part D is simply insurance for your medication needs. You pay a monthly premium to an insurance carrier for your Part D plan. In return, you use the insurance carrier's network of pharmacies to purchase your prescription medications.
How Does Medicare Part D affect health care accessibility?
Medicare Part D increased economic access to medications, but its effect on population-level health outcomes and use of other medical services remains unclear.
Which 2 social factors influence the consumption of health care?
Social determinants of health include factors like socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care.
Which of the following does Medicare Part D cover?
All plans must cover a wide range of prescription drugs that people with Medicare take, including most drugs in certain protected classes,” like drugs to treat cancer or HIV/AIDS. A plan's list of covered drugs is called a “formulary,” and each plan has its own formulary.
When did Medicare Part D start?
Brief Report. Medicare Part D took effect in January 2006, making prescription drug insurance available to all beneficiaries at a reasonable premium. The program’s success at increasing coverage and utilization has been well documented.
When did Medicare Part D become law?
By 1998, the percentage of beneficiaries with drug insurance increased to 73%, leaving only 27% without coverage. Medicare Part D, enacted in 2003, was the result of a long debate over the importance of drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries.
What is the MEPS survey?
The MEPS survey includes two sources of information regarding an individual’s drug coverage: the drug insurance section and the prescription expenditures reported in the sources of coverage section. The drug insurance section asks individuals whether they currently hold any drug coverage.
What is MEPS in healthcare?
We used the household component (HC) files of the 2002–2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative survey of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population conducted annually by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHR Q; Cohen et al., 1996 ). We limited our attention to individuals who self-reported being African-American, white, or Hispanic based on the MEPS’ questions regarding race and ethnicity. Other minority subpopulations were not examined due to small sample sizes in the MEPS.
When did Medicare add a separate question?
Starting in 2006, a separate question was added for Medicare beneficiaries about whether their drug coverage was obtained through Part D. The expenditures section asks about each prescription filled during the previous round, if any, and the total and out-of-pocket cost of each prescription.
Is there racial disparity in Medicare?
Among Medicare beneficiaries, there are no racial or ethnic disparities either before or after Part D. The overall probability of having coverage rises in 2006, with the implementation of Part D, but it does so for all racial/ethnic groups. Figure 2.
