Aiju Men

The Medicare drug benefit (Part D) and treatment of heart failure in older adults

BACKGROUND Adherence to pharmacotherapy for heart failure is poor among older adults in part because of high prescription drug costs. We examined the impact of improvements in drug coverage under Medicare Part D on utilization of, and adherence to, medications for heart failure in older adults. METHODS We used a quasi-experimental approach to analyze pharmacy claims for 6,950 individuals aged >or=65 years with heart failure enrolled in a Medicare managed care organization 2 years before and after Part Ds implementation. We compared prescription fill patterns among individuals who moved from limited (quarterly benefits caps of USD 150 or USD 350) or no drug coverage to Part D in 2006 with those who had generous employer-sponsored coverage throughout the study period. RESULTS Individuals who previously lacked drug coverage filled approximately 6 more heart failure prescriptions annually after Part D (adjusted ratio of prescription counts = 1.36, 95% CI 1.29-1.44, P < .0001 relative to the comparison group). Those previously lacking drug coverage were more likely to fill prescriptions for an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker plus a beta-blocker after Part D (adjusted ratio of odds ratios = 1.73, 95% CI 1.42-2.10, P < .0001) and more likely to be adherent to such pharmacotherapy (adjusted ratio of odds ratios = 2.95, 95% CI 1.85-4.69, P < .0001) relative to the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS Medicare Part D was associated with improved access to medications and adherence to pharmacotherapy in older adults with heart failure.

Impact of Medicare Part D on antidepressant treatment, medication choice, and adherence among older adults with depression.

OBJECTIVES Depression in older adults is often undertreated due, in part, to medication costs. We examined the impact of improved prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D on use of antidepressants, medication choice, and adherence. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Observational claims-based study of older adults with depression (ICD-9: 296.2, 296.3, 311, 300.4) continuously enrolled in a Medicare managed care plan between 2004 and 2007. Three groups with limited (

The impact of Medicare prescription drug coverage on the use of antidementia drugs

150 or

Employee Choice of a High-Deductible Health Plan across Multiple Employers

350 quarterly caps) or no drug coverage in 2004-2005 obtained Part D benefits in 2006. A comparison group had stable employer-sponsored coverage throughout. MEASUREMENTS Any antidepressant prescription fill, antidepressant choice (tricyclics or monoamine oxidase inhibitors versus newer antidepressants), and adherence (80% of days covered) in the first 6 months of treatment. RESULTS : Part D was associated with increased odds of any antidepressant use among those who previously lacked coverage (odds ratio [OR] 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41-1.85) but odds of use did not change among those with limited prior coverage. Use of older antidepressant agents did not change with Part D. All three groups whose coverage improved with Part D had significantly higher odds of 80% of days covered with an antidepressant (OR = 1.86 [95% CI: 1.44-2.39] for no coverage, 1.74 [95% CI: 1.25%3.42] for

Antipsychotic prescribing: do conflict of interest policies make a difference?

150 cap; and 1.19 [95% CI: 1.06-1.34] for the

Impact of medicare part D plan features on use of generic drugs.

350 cap groups). CONCLUSIONS Medicare Part D was associated with improvements in antidepressant use and adherence in depressed older adults who previously had no or limited drug coverage but not with changes in use of older agents. use and adherence in depressed older adults who previously had no or limited drug coverage but not with changes in use of older agents.

Rethinking How to Measure the Appropriateness of Cervical Cancer Screening

BackgroundCholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are prescribed to slow the progression dementia. Although the efficacy of these drugs has been demonstrated, their effectiveness, from the perspective of patients and caregivers, has been questioned. Little is known about whether the demand for cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are sensitive to out-of-pocket cost. Using the 2006 implementation of Medicare Part D as a natural experiment, this study examines the impact of changes in drug coverage on use of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine by comparing use before and after Medicare Part D implementation among older adults who did and did not experience a change in coverage.MethodsRetrospective analyses of claims data from 35,102 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries in Pennsylvania aged 65 or older. Beneficiaries were continuously enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan from 2004 to 2007. Outcome variables were any use of donepezil (Aricept®), galantamine (Razadyne®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), tacrine (Cognex®), or memantine (Namenda®) each year and the number of 30-day prescriptions filled for these drugs. Independent variables included type of drug benefit pre–Part D (No coverage,

Twelve-month cost-effectiveness of telephone-delivered collaborative care for treating depression following CABG surgery: a randomized controlled trial

150 cap,

Medicare Part D and Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in the Elderly

350 cap, and No cap as the reference group), time period, and their interaction. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to test if there are differences in use by drug class or if beneficiaries with a diagnosis of dementia pre–Part D experienced an increase in use post–Part D.ResultsThe No coverage group had a 38% increase in the odds ratio of any use of antidementia medications (P = 0.0008) post–Part D relative to the No cap group. All four coverage groups had significant increases in number of 30-day prescriptions (P < 0.001) over the study period. In adjusted models that included the sub-sample with any use pre–Part D, the No coverage group had a 36% increase in prescriptions (P = 0.002) and the

Cervical Cancer Screening Guideline Adherence Before and After Guideline Changes in Pennsylvania Medicaid.

350 cap group had a 15% increase (P = 0.003) after adjusting for trends in the No cap group. Results from the sensitivity analysis for the sub-sample with a diagnosis of dementia pre–Part D show that each group had significant increases in 30-day prescriptions compared to the No cap control group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsUse of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine in our sample increased and a greater increase in use was observed among Medicare beneficiaries who experienced improvements in drug coverage under Medicare Part D.