The Effect of the Medicare Part D Prescription Benefit on Drug Utilization and Expenditures

From Robert Wood Johnson Scholars in Health Policy Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy, Center for Health and Social Sciences, and MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics and University of Illinois at Chicago School of Pharmacy, Chicago, Illinois; and Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.

View larger version:
- In this window
- In a new window
Appendix Figure. Full specification of the generalized estimating equation model.
View larger version:
- In this window
- In a new window
Figure 1. Trends in out-of-pocket prescription expenditures.
Top. Trends in average monthly out-of-pocket costs. Bottom. Trend in factual out-of-pocket costs versus counterfactual costs associated with no implementation of Part D. GEE = generalized estimating equation.
View larger version:
- In this window
- In a new window
Figure 2. Trends in prescription drug utilization.
Top. Monthly pill-days of drug utilization. Bottom. Trend in factual utilization versus counterfactual utilization associated with no implementation of Part D. GEE = generalized estimating equation.
View larger version:
- In this window
- In a new window
Figure 3. Trends in out-of-pocket expenditures, by Part D enrollment.
Top. Trends in average monthly out-of-pocket costs. Bottom. Trends in factual out-of-pocket costs versus counterfactual costs associated with no implementation of Part D. GEE = generalized estimating equation.
View larger version:
- In this window
- In a new window
Figure 4. Trends in prescription drug utilization, by Part D enrollment.
Top. Monthly pill-days of drug utilization. Bottom. Trends in factual out-of-pocket costs versus counterfactual costs associated with no implementation of Part D. GEE = generalized estimating equation.