Seniors, others remain confused about the new prescription drug
benefit and show little interest
in participating, according to new research
EAST HANOVER, N.J., Oct. 7 //PRNewswire/
-- Medicare patients remain confused about the new prescription
drug benefit included in Part D of the Medicare Prescription
Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA), set to go into
effect in January 2006. According to the results of GfK Market
Measures' new Impact of MMA on Patients Study, announced today,
patients have little knowledge of the structure or specifics of
the new benefit with most not even aware of when they need to
register. As a result, interest in participating is limited,
particularly among affluent seniors who are satisfied with their
current coverage and see little incentive for moving to a new
system.
Because they are less likely
to have prescription coverage now, low-income patients are more
apt to be interested in taking advantage of Part D. Even among
this group, however, there is little understanding of the
differences between the Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) and
Medicare Advantage (MA-PD) options. If they are currently
covered, most seniors consider staying with their current plan
the most attractive choice.
"Clearly, patient education
will be key in getting Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in Part
D and to have realistic expectations of the benefits it will
deliver," says Larry Olson, Director of GfK Market Measures'
Consumer Health Practice. "In particular, pharmaceutical
manufacturers need to let patients know which plans have given
their branded drugs preferred formulary status before enrollment
begins on November 15. Right now, most patients are unaware that
the drugs offered will vary from one plan to another -- and that
they will need to review choices carefully to select a plan that
covers the brands they want."
The Media, Government and AARP
Are Key Information Sources
Most seniors are turning to
the news media, the government and AARP for information on Part
D. Medicare beneficiaries indicate they expect to get further
information from these sources about the Part D prescription
drug benefit in the weeks to come. To date, family, friends and
healthcare providers have played only a minor role in helping to
educate patients on MMA.
When making specific decisions
about coverage, Medicare patients expect to rely on Medicare
itself. In addition, when they need to know about the specific
drugs included in the plan options, patients will count first on
their doctors, followed by the government, Medicare and Social
Security. Pharmacists also will play a key part in advising
patients about the drugs available in particular plans.
"Doctors are likely to be
inundated with questions about the coverage of specific
medications," according to Olson. "Pharmaceutical manufacturers
will benefit by providing doctors who see a heavy load of
seniors -- such as primary care physicians and cardiologists --
with easy-to-use reference materials that show which plans have
their brands on formulary and that detail that strengths of
their products."
Diabetes Patients Are Most
Interested in Part D, though Least Knowledgeable
Medicare patients differ in
their reactions to MMA, depending on their specific medical
conditions, with diabetes patients most interested in
participating. Taking an average of seven prescription
medications, diabetics report the greatest difficulty in facing
the burden of monthly drug expenses. Therefore, they are eager
to obtain prescription coverage. At the same time, they classify
themselves as the least knowledgeable "disease group" about the
new benefit.
Medicare Population Shows Vast
Discrepancies in Drug Coverage, Based on Household Income
Among the Medicare population,
there are vast differences in prescription coverage, based on
household income. Higher income Medicare patients tend to be
covered by retirement plans, while lower-income beneficiaries
are more likely to be covered by Medicaid, Medicare Risk and
other programs. In addition, nearly half of the lower-income
patients have no coverage of any type, making prescription drug
costs a significant concern.
"Under MMA, lower-income
Medicare beneficiaries now will gain access to prescription drug
coverage, leading to increased usage of prescription products,"
says Olson. "As a result, our MMA research with MCOs shows that
the use of formularies and restrictions may increase to manage
this growing pharmacy utilization -- and that these more
aggressive measures will be accompanied by more complex plan
designs."