Has Medicare Part D reduced racial/ethnic disparities in prescription drug use and spending?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To evaluate whether Medicare Part D has reduced racial/ethnic disparities in prescription drug utilization and spending.

Data

Nationally representative data on white, African American, and Hispanic Medicare seniors from the 2002-2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey are analyzed. Five measures are examined: filling any prescriptions during the year, the number of prescriptions filled, total annual prescription spending, annual out-of-pocket prescription spending, and average copay level.

Study design

We apply the Institute of Medicine's definition of a racial/ethnic disparity and adopt a difference-in-difference-in-differences (DDD) estimator using a multivariate regression framework. The treatment group consists of Medicare seniors, the comparison group, ad

SUBMITTER: Mahmoudi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3976184 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature