Prescription Drugs & Other Medical Products

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Development of an Assistive Technology and Environmental Assessment Instrument for National Surveys: Final Report Part I. Recommended Modules and Instrument Development Process

This paper examines the combined effects of drug plan risk the first year of Medicare part D implementation of the combination of reinsurance, risk-adjustment and risk-corridors

This paper examines by state variation in drug prices and drug spending. Variation in prices are found to be minimal but variation in spending (and utilization) are more substantial. Further work will explore the underlying reasons for the spending variation and whether patterns persist when analyzed for areas other than states.

As part of the Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit scheduled for implementation in 2006 by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA), beneficiaries will have a choice of private plans administering the benefit.? Although plans are required to provide access to needed drugs, the law does not require plans to provide equal coverage for all drugs.?

This paper describes the work NORC did to supplement the Federal Employee Health Benefits data (FEHBP) used to develop drug risk adjustment factors for over 65 individuals with a full drug supplement to Medicare. This data needed to be supplemented because the FEHBP data did not adequately represent, low-income, disabled, or non east Coast populations.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This contract developed data bases to supplement the Federal Employees Health Benefits Data used to develop the drug risk adjustment system for Medicare part D drug plans for low-income and disabled populations; explored geographic variation by state in drug prices and drug utilization; and examined the joint effects on drug plan risk of the combination of drug risk-adjustment, risk-corridors a

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