Differential Effects by Mental Health Status of Filling the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap

The objective of this study was to study how changes in insurance benefit design affect medication use of older adults with mental disorders. Data Sources: US Medicare claims data from 2007 to 2018. Study Design: Exploiting the gradual elimination of the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap beginning in 2011, we examine the effects on medication use and out-of-pocket spending by drug type with a difference-in-differences approach. We identify subpopulations by mental disorder and compare the estimates across mental health groups and to the general Medicare population. Principal Findings: Closing the gap substantially reduced individuals’ out-of-pocket spending, and the reduction was larger for those with more severe mental disorders. The policy led to a statistically significant increase in branded drugs used for the Medicare population (0.91; P
Source: Medical Care - Category: Health Management Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research