Association of Medicare Part D Benzodiazepine Coverage Expansion With Changes in Fall-Related Injuries and Overdoses Among Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries.

ABSTRACT: Importance:Benzodiazepines, which are associated with safety-related harms for older adults, were not covered when the US Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit began. Coverage was extended to benzodiazepines in 2013. Objective:To examine whether the expansion of benzodiazepine coverage among Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries was associated with increases in fall-related injuries or overdoses among older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants:This ecological study used interrupted time-series with comparison-series analyses of MA claims data from 4 635 312 age-eligible MA beneficiaries and 940 629 commercially insured individuals (comparison group) stratified by age (65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years) to separately compare trends in fall-related injury and overdose before (Janua

SUBMITTER: Maust DT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7125434 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature