[acb-diabetics] womenfall quiclky into MediCare donumt hole

[Patricia LaFrance-Wolf]

Diabetic Women Fall Fast Into Medicare 'Doughnut Hole'

 

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This article originally posted 

13 April, 2010

 and appeared in  

Issue 517

Diabetic Women Fall Fast Into Medicare 'Doughnut Hole'

Among elderly Americans, women and those with diabetes and dementia are most
likely to find themselves in the Medicare Part D drug plan "doughnut
hole"....

Advertisement 

the coverage gap that occurs after a beneficiary has reached the annual
coverage limit but hasn't spent enough on drugs to qualify for catastrophic
coverage.

Among elderly Americans, women and those with diabetes and dementia are most
likely to find themselves in the Medicare Part D drug plan "doughnut hole,"

the coverage gap that occurs after a beneficiary has reached the annual
coverage limit but hasn't spent enough on drugs to qualify for catastrophic
coverage.

 

Researchers analyzed the records of more than 287,000 Medicare enrollees in
eight states and found that 16 percent of them entered the doughnut hole.
Nearly

3 percent entered the gap very early -- within the first 180 days of the
year. Of the enrollees who entered the gap, only 7 percent eventually
qualified

for catastrophic coverage. 

Along with women and patients with dementia and diabetes, patients most
likely to fall into the doughnut hole included those with end-stage renal
disease,

coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mental
health conditions and congestive heart failure. 

These groups should be counseled by doctors on how best to manage medication
costs through either drug substitution or discontinuation of certain
nonessential

medications, study lead author Susan Ettner, professor of medicine in the
division of general internal medicine and health services research at the
David

Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, said in a
news release. 

"This is important so that more essential medication is not discontinued,
with adverse effects on patients' health due to cost reasons only. These
patients

need to continue adhering to their medication regimen," Ettner said in a
news release. 

Journal of General Internal Medicine. March 25, 2010  

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This article originally posted 13 April, 2010 and appeared in  

Issue 517

 

Diabetic Women Fall Fast Into Medicare 'Doughnut Hole'

 

Among elderly Americans, women and those with diabetes and dementia are most
likely to find themselves in the Medicare Part D drug plan "doughnut
hole"....

 

Advertisement 

 

Click here to find out more! frame

 

Flash movie start

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Click here to find out more! frame end

 

the coverage gap that occurs after a beneficiary has reached the annual
coverage limit but hasn't spent enough on drugs to qualify for catastrophic
coverage.

 

Among elderly Americans, women and those with diabetes and dementia are most
likely to find themselves in the Medicare Part D drug plan "doughnut hole,"

the coverage gap that occurs after a beneficiary has reached the annual
coverage limit but hasn't spent enough on drugs to qualify for catastrophic
coverage.

 

 

Researchers analyzed the records of more than 287,000 Medicare enrollees in
eight states and found that 16 percent of them entered the doughnut hole.
Nearly

3 percent entered the gap very early -- within the first 180 days of the
year. Of the enrollees who entered the gap, only 7 percent eventually
qualified

for catastrophic coverage. 

 

Along with women and patients with dementia and diabetes, patients most
likely to fall into the doughnut hole included those with end-stage renal
disease,

coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mental
health conditions and congestive heart failure. 

 

These groups should be counseled by doctors on how best to manage medication
costs through either drug substitution or discontinuation of certain
nonessential

medications, study lead author Susan Ettner, professor of medicine in the
division of general internal medicine and health services research at the
David

Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, said in a
news release. 

 

"This is important so that more essential medication is not discontinued,
with adverse effects on patients' health due to cost reasons only. These
patients

need to continue adhering to their medication regimen," Ettner said in a
news release. 

 

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