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Low-Income Seniors Skimp Less on Prescription Drugs With State ...

Date Added: 27-06-2005

June 20, 2005 – A new study by Brandeis University researchers shows that two state-run pharmacy assistance programs reduced by one-half the number of senior citizens who either forgo necessities or skimp on prescribed drugs. Moreover, the decline in skimping was most dramatic among the most vulnerable – those with advanced age and multiple chronic conditions, the study concluded.

Joann Schroeder's chronic health conditions force the retired receptionist to take several medications costing thousands of dollars yearly. But with Social Security checks totaling less than $1,100 monthly, the 70-year-old Wisconsin resident struggled to pay for prescriptions outright. Paying by credit card worked until mounting debt – more than $4,000 in drug costs – made her realize that strategy was on a collision course with economic reality.

That was three years ago. Since then Schroeder has been covered by SeniorCare, Wisconsin's prescription drug assistance program implemented in 2002. "If SeniorCare hadn't come along, I would have had to use yet another credit card – and where would that have gotten me?" she said.

In addition, program participants are subject to certain annual out-of-pocket expense requirements depending on their annual income, as shown in the table on the Website. Drug coverage may vary by Level.

Schroeder managed to avoid "skimping" on drug costs, but only by racking up debt. For other seniors, forgoing necessities or skimping – either skipping doses or splitting them -is an inevitable consequence of poverty and chronic illness. Illinois also began a similar SeniorCare program earlier the same year.

More than one-quarter of those surveyed skimped before assistance program

"Overall, it's a huge improvement – but it's not a 100 percent cure," explained lead study author Donald Shepard, professor at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis. "Seniors still face co-payments for prescriptions, enrollment fees, deductibles, and other barriers such as transportation costs to the pharmacy or their physician."

The study randomly surveyed 2,227 participants in the SeniorCare programs in Wisconsin and Illinois. The programs are open to seniors whose annual income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, about $20,000. The study found that having several chronic non-life-threatening conditions was associated with a higher probability of skimping, while life-threatening conditions resulted in a lower risk of skimping.

Brandeis study sheds light on scope of skimping

"Wisconsin didn't have its own data on skimping so we didn't know how pervasive it was, said Russell Pederson, Wisconsin SeniorCare program director. "The Brandeis study is important to policy makers in Wisconsin and Washington because it gives us hard data on the scope of the problem," Pederson added.

The overall share of skimping among seniors was 28.4 percent before SeniorCare, and 12.9 percent after enrollment in the assistance program, a reduction of 55 percent. Similarly, the study showed that the proportion of seniors going without some necessities was cut by more than one-half, from 35.4 percent before SeniorCare to 17.0 percent after SeniorCare, a reduction of 52 percent.

For More Information:

http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/MedicareDrugCards/5-06-20StateDrugPrograms.htm