Finding Ways for Older Patients to Lower Their Drug Costs

Medicare prescription drug plans imposed higher out-of-pocket costs for many common cardiac medications than a generic-drug discount program.

Insured patients often pay out of pocket for prescription drugs, although some patients opt to use generic-drug discount programs that typically sell 30-day generic medications for US$4. To see whether these discount programs save money for Medicare beneficiaries with any of seven common cardiovascular conditions, researchers examined copayment charges in 2155 Medicare prescription drug plans (PDPs) for 27 generic cardiovascular medications that were available for a $4 charge at a single discount program (Walmart).

In 2017, a median of 21% of plans (interquartile range [IQR], 16%–38%) required patients to pay more than $4 for covered medications. Medicare Advantage plans, which also cover other medical expenses, generally had higher out-of-p…

Reviewing Author

Fatima Rodriguez, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardNovoNordisk; HealthPals; Novartis; Amgen

EquityHealthPals; Carta

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association–Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Editorial BoardsCardiology and Therapy