Monday, February 7, 2011

Out-of-Pocket Burden of Health Care Spending and the Adequacy of the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy - The Commonwealth Fund

Authors: Becky A. Briesacher, Ph.D., Dennis Ross-Degnan, Sc.D., Anita K. Wagner, Pharm.D., Dr.P.H., Hassan Fouayzi, M.S., Fang Zhang, Ph.D., Jerry H. Gurwitz, M.D., and Stephen B. Soumerai, Sc.D.

Medications are among the biggest drivers of out-of-pocket health care costs in the United States. The burden falls particularly heavy on older adults, who, on average, take four to five drugs on a regular basis. This Commonwealth Fund–supported study examined the amount of household resources allocated to out-of-pocket health spending in the year before Medicare's Part D drug benefit took effect.

What the Study Found

  • In the year prior to Part D, more than half of Medicare families faced "burdensome" health care costs, meaning they spent more than 40 percent of their household resources on health care, after paying for housing, food, and other essentials.
  • Medicare families in poor health directed 68 percent of nonessential resources to health care.
  • Nearly two-thirds of out-of-pocket health care spending went to health insurance premiums and medications.
  • About one-quarter of Medicare families with burdensome health care costs were not eligible for a low-income sub

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