National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 4 of 4 Research Studies DisplayedAbdus S
AHRQ Author: Abdus S
Financial burdens of out-of-pocket prescription drug expenditures under high-deductible health plans.
This study examines financial burdens of out-of-pocket prescription drug expenditures across different levels of deductibles, focusing on low-income adults with multiple, prevalent chronic conditions. The results of this study suggest that for low-income adults with multiple chronic conditions who are enrolled in employer-sponsored high-deductible plans, out-of-pocket prescription drug costs may still result in significant financial hardships. The key takeaway point of this paper for general internists is that for patients with chronic conditions, out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs could be excessively burdensome if they are enrolled in high-deductible plans.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S .
Financial burdens of out-of-pocket prescription drug expenditures under high-deductible health plans.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Sep;36(9):2903-05. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06226-x..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Medication
Hill SC, Miller GE, Ding Y
AHRQ Author: Hill SC, Miller GE, Ding Y
Net spending on retail specialty drugs grew rapidly, especially for private insurance and Medicare Part D.
This study examined net spending trends on retail specialty drugs from 2010 to 2017. Spending has been difficult to measure due to proprietary rebate payments by manufacturers by insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and state Medicaid agencies. The authors incorporated those rebates into their research. They found that specialty drugs accounted for 37.7% of retail and mail-order prescription spending net of rebates in 2016-17. The spending net of rebates tripled for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and more than doubled for people with private insurance from 2010 to 2017. Medicaid net spending of rebates had a slower increase.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hill SC, Miller GE, Ding Y .
Net spending on retail specialty drugs grew rapidly, especially for private insurance and Medicare Part D.
Health Aff 2020 Nov;39(11):1970-76. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01830..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Medication, Medicare, Health Insurance
Hu T, Decker SL, Chou SY
AHRQ Author: Decker SL
The impact of health insurance expansion on physician treatment choice: Medicare Part D and physician prescribing.
Researchers tested the effect of the introduction of Medicare Part D on physician prescribing behavior using data on physician visits from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). Subjects were patients aged 60-69. The researchers found a 32% increase in the number of prescription drugs prescribed or continued per visit and a 46% increase in the number of generic drugs prescribed or continued for the elderly after the introduction of Medicare Part D.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Hu T, Decker SL, Chou SY .
The impact of health insurance expansion on physician treatment choice: Medicare Part D and physician prescribing.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28168448.
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Medicare, Medication, Practice Patterns, Elderly
Yabroff KR, Kirby J, Zodet M
AHRQ Author: Kirby J, Zodet M
Association of insurance gains and losses with access to prescription drugs.
The researchers used longitudinal data to assess the effects of insurance gains and losses on prescription drug access. Their findings that unmet need for prescription drugs declined among initially uninsured adults who gained coverage and doubled among initially insured adults who lost coverage provide longitudinal evidence that having and maintaining health insurance is a key protection against unmet need for prescription drugs in a nationally representative sample.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Yabroff KR, Kirby J, Zodet M .
Association of insurance gains and losses with access to prescription drugs.
JAMA Intern Med 2017 Oct;177(10):1531-32. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.4011.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Health Insurance, Medication, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Uninsured