Medicare beneficiaries without low-income subsidies were less likely to fill important prescriptions, new study finds
April 4, 2022
https://news.vumc.org/2022/04/04/medicare-beneficiaries-without-low-income-subsidies-were-less-likely-to-fill-important-prescriptions-new-study-finds/
Many Medicare beneficiaries do not fill high-price specialty drug prescriptions, particularly those that do not receive a low-income subsidy. Stacie Dusetzina, PhD, Russell Rothman, MD, MPP, and colleagues found that beneficiaries receiving subsidies were twice as likely to obtain the prescribed drug than those not receiving subsidies, demonstrating the need to increase the accessibility of high-price medications by reducing out-of-pocket expenses under Medicare Part D.
Study shows little variance in overdose deaths when sorting by Medicaid expansion status
March 3, 2022
https://news.vumc.org/2022/03/03/study-shows-little-variance-in-overdose-deaths-when-sorting-by-medicaid-expansion-status/
Kevin Griffith, PhD examined how the pandemic impacted access to substance use disorder treatment services, which are improved with Medicaid services. Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states experienced similar increases in drug and opioid overdose deaths during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.