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Prescription Drugs


Cost Shifting Debt Reduction to America’s Seniors: Medicare Part D Rebates Would Dramatically Increase Drug Premiums

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Topics: Dual Eligibles | Medicaid | Medicare | Prescription Drugs | Regulation

On July 21, the American Action Forum (AAF) released a report, examining the effect of providing drug rebates similar to those employed in Medicaid to dual eligibles and beneficiaries of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program (Part D) Low-Income Subsidy (LIS). Legislation (S. 1206) to enact such a change is currently before the Senate Finance Committee, with supportive legislators arguing that it would save $112 billion over 10 years. However, the AAF report contends that the change would result in Part D premium increases of up to 40 percent and argues that drug manufacturers may shift drug costs to the private health coverage market in response to the rebates.

From the report:

The Medicare Part D prescription drug program marked a significant change to Medicare. Part D created a competitive market for prescription drug plans, and has proven to be a dramatic success in controlling prescription drug costs. Actual Part D benefit costs have been in the vicinity of 40 percent below the Congressional Budget Office’s initial ten-year estimate. As a result, America’s seniors have benefited from lower prescription drug premiums. The voluntary outpatient drug benefit is delivered through stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) and drug plans sponsored by Medicare Advantage plans (MA-PDs) that compete head-to-head in each geographic region, without a government-prescribed benchmark or price-setting mechanism. Every Part D plan participates in the annual bidding process that determines the federal subsidy to enrollees, which averages 74.5 percent of the cost of a standard benefit.

Full report: Cost Shifting Debt Reduction to America’s Seniors: Medicare Part D Rebates Would Dramatically Increase Drug Premiums (PDF | 419 KB) exit disclaimer small icon

American Action Forum. (2011). Cost shifting debt reduction to america’s seniors: Medicare Part D rebates would dramatically increase drug premiums. Holtz-Eakin, Douglas and Ramlet, Michael. 


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Implementation of Medicare Part D and Nondrug Medical Spending for Elderly Adults With Limited Prior Drug Coverage

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Topics: Medicare | Prescription Drugs | Spending

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that that the Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Part D) was associated with a significant decline in non-drug expenditures among enrollees with previously inadequate drug coverage.  By increasing access to medication and adherence to drug regimens, the study found that Part D reduced hospital and nursing home spending on acute and post acute care.  Among the roughly 10 million beneficiaries with previously inadequate care, the authors found that spending on non-drug services declining by $1,200 per capita.

McWilliams, Michael J., Zaslavsky, Alan M., and Huskamp, Haiden A. (2011). Implementation of Medicare Part D and nondrug medical spending for elderly adults with limited prior drug coverage. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 306 (8): 402-409. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.1026. http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/306/4/402.short exit disclaimer small icon

Authors: Michael J. McWilliams, Alan M. Zaslavsky, and Haiden A. Huskamp.


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Increasing the Cost-Effectiveness of Medicaid Drug Programs

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Topics: Cost-effectiveness | Medicaid | Prescription Drugs

The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) has released a white paper arguing that the federal and state governments could save billions through changes to Medicaid pharmacy benefits management.  The paper promotes increasing the use of generics, negotiating competitive dispensing fees, improving drug utilization controls, and negotiating discounts and reimbursements with drug manufacturers similar to those obtained by private insurers.  The authors also highlight the importance of controlling Medicaid costs in light of the program’s role in expanding health coverage under the national health care reform law.

From the report:

Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides medical care to more than 60 million low-income individuals and families.1 Over the next few years, Medicaid enrollment is expected to swell and spending is set to explode.

Drug therapies often substitute for more expensive and less effective surgical treatment and can reduce the need for hospitalization. Americans see their doctors more than 890 million times each year, and two-thirds of office visits to physicians result in prescription drug therapy.12 Even though they appear to provide better value for money than other forms of therapy, drug expenditures are one of the fastest growing components of the Medicaid program.

Full Report: Increasing the Cost-Effectiveness of Medicaid Drug Programs (PDF | 1.72 MB)exit disclaimer small icon

National Center for Policy Analysis. (2011). Increasing the cost-effectiveness of Medicaid drug programs.


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For What Diagnoses Are Psychotropic Medications Being Prescribed?: A Nationally Representative Survey of Physicians

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Topics: Mental Health | Prescription Drugs | Treatment

This study published in CNS Drugs used the 2005 National Disease and Therapeutic Index (NDTI) to determine which diagnoses were predominately used when prescribing psychotropic medications, focusing primarily on antidepressants, antipsychotics and anti-anxiety drugs. 

Mark, T.L. (2010). For what diagnoses are psychotropic medications being prescribed?: a nationally representative survey of physicians. CNS Drugs. 24(4): 319- 326. doi: 10.2165/11533120-000000000-00000. http://adisonline.com/cnsdrugs/Abstract/2010/24040/For_What_Diagnoses_Are_Psychotropic_Medications.4.aspxexit disclaimer small icon

Full Article: For What Diagnoses are Psychotropic Medications Being Prescribed?: A Nationally Representative Survey of Physicians (225 KB)

Authors: Tami L. Mark

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Potential Federal and State-by-State Savings if Medicaid Pharmacy Programs were Optimally Managed

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Topics: Medicaid | Prescription Drugs | Rates/Reimbursement | Spending | State Data

On December 6, the Lewin Group released a study offering suggestions to improve cost efficiency in Medicaid pharmacy programs.  By optimizing program management, the report identifies up to $30 billion in potential savings over the next 10 years.  The study notes that Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) pharmacy programs generally use fewer generic drugs and pay higher dispensing fees and ingredient costs than Medicaid managed care plans and private insurers.  The authors propose realizing savings through increased use of generics, reducing drug dispensing fees and ingredient costs, and limiting the number of prescriptions per beneficiary.  The study suggests that programs can maximize savings by transitioning Medicaid pharmacy programs from FFS models to approaches used by managed care organizations, the Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) program, private insurers, and state employee benefit plans  

From the executive summary:

While discussions about Medicaid prescription drug costs have often focused $30 billion over the next decade. Medicaid has become an outlier as one of the nation’s few remaining pharmacy benefits programs that is mainly administered by public agencies using a fee-for-service (FFS) delivery model. In this model, which accounts for 73% of Medicaid pharmacy expenditures, dispensing fees, ingredient costs, and benefits management activities are determined by state officials. In most other programs, pharmacy reimbursements are determined through negotiations between pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and drug retailers.

Full Report: Potential Federal and State-by-State Savings if Medicaid Pharmacy Programs were Optimally Managed (PDF | 294 KB)exit disclaimer small icon

Lewin Group. (2010). Potential federal and state-by-state savings if Medicaid pharmacy programs were optimally managed. Menges, J., Kang, S., and Park, C.


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Fixing Flaws In Medicare Drug Coverage That Prompt Insurers To Avoid Low-Income Patients

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Topics: Access/Barriers | Medicare | Prescription Drugs | Rates/Reimbursement | Uninsured

This study by Health Affairs examines insurers of low-income patients participating in Medicare Part D. It concludes that insurers are not sufficiently reimbursed for relatively high pharmacy costs, thus encouraging insurance plans to raise their rates above regional standards. Such raises often force low-income individuals to switch plans. The study suggests that improving risk and subsidy adjustments could better the situation.

Hsu, et. al. (2010). Fixing Flaws In Medicare Drug Coverage That Prompt Insurers To Avoid Low-Income Patients. Health Affairs. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0323. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/early/2010/10/28/hlthaff.2009.0323.abstract exit disclaimer small icon


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