How Effective Is the Medicare Part D Drug Plan?
Authors: Paul Grootendorst
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Editorials16 June 2015How Effective Is the Medicare Part D Drug Plan?Paul Grootendorst, PhDPaul Grootendorst, PhDFrom University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M15-0953 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The Medicare Part D drug plan, introduced in 2006, fundamentally changed the drug coverage landscape for U.S. seniors. Although Part D does not cover all drug costs, it nonetheless decreased financial uncertainty, improved access to pharmacotherapy, and thus presumably improved the health of seniors who previously had no or limited drug coverage. In this issue, Briesacher and colleagues (1) report a study that attempts to estimate the effect of Part D on the health of the entire community-dwelling Medicare population 5 years after plan implementation. Earlier studies found that Part D reduced the nondrug health care spending of persons with ...References1. Briesacher BA, Madden JM, Zhang F, Fouayzi H, Ross-Degnan D, Gurwitz JH, et al. Did Medicare Part D affect national trends in health outcomes or hospitalizations? A time-series analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:825-33. doi:10.7326/M14-0726 LinkGoogle Scholar2. McWilliams JM, Zaslavsky AM, Huskamp HA. Implementation of Medicare Part D and nondrug medical spending for elderly adults with limited prior drug coverage. JAMA. 2011;306:402-9. [PMID: 21791689] doi:10.1001/jama.2011.1026 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Zhang Y, Donohue JM, Lave JR, O'Donnell G, Newhouse JP. The effect of Medicare Part D on drug and medical spending. N Engl J Med. 2009;361:52-61. [PMID: 19571283] doi:10.1056/NEJMsa0807998 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Lichtenberg FR, Sun SX. The impact of Medicare Part D on prescription drug use by the elderly. Health Aff (Millwood). 2007;26:1735-44. [PMID: 17978393] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Congressional Budget Office. Spending patterns for prescription drugs under Medicare Part D. Washington, DC: Congressional Budget Office; 2011. Accessed at www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/12-01-MedicarePartD.pdf on 29 April 2015. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Disclosures: Author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. Form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M15-0953.Corresponding Author: Paul Grootendorst, PhD, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Room 601, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada; e-mail, paul.[email protected]ca. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDid Medicare Part D Affect National Trends in Health Outcomes or Hospitalizations? Becky A. Briesacher , Jeanne M. Madden , Fang Zhang , Hassan Fouayzi , Dennis Ross-Degnan , Jerry H. Gurwitz , and Stephen B. Soumerai Did Medicare Part D Affect National Trends in Health Outcomes or Hospitalizations? Becky A. Briesacher , Jeanne M. Madden , Fang Zhang , Hassan Fouayzi , Dennis Ross-Degnan , Jerry H. Gurwitz , and Stephen B. Soumerai Metrics 16 June 2015Volume 162, Issue 12Page: 869-870KeywordsActivities of daily livingDrug therapyDrugsHealth careMedicareStatistical modelsVisionWalking ePublished: 16 June 2015 Issue Published: 16 June 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...