Effect of an expenditure cap on low-income seniors' drug use and spending in a state pharmacy assistance program.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate the impact of a soft cap (a ceiling on utilization beyond which insured enrollees pay a higher copayment) on low-income elders' use of prescription drugs.

Data sources and setting

Claims and enrollment files for the first year ( June 2002 through May 2003) of the Illinois SeniorCare program, a state pharmacy assistance program, and Medicare claims and enrollment files, 2001 through 2003. SeniorCare enrolled non-Medicaid-eligible elders with income less than 200 percent of Federal Poverty Level. Minimal copays increased by 20 percent of prescription cost when enrollee expenditures reached $1,750.

Research design

Models were estimated for three dependent variables: enrollees' average monthly utilization (number of prescriptions), spending, and the

SUBMITTER: Bishop CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2699919 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature