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Who enrolls in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program? Medication use among patients with heart failure.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Eapen, ZJ; Hammill, BG; Setoguchi, S; Schulman, KA; Peterson, ED; Hernandez, AF; Curtis, LH
Published in: J Am Heart Assoc
September 11, 2013

BACKGROUND: Dispensing data from Medicare Part D standalone prescription drug plans are now available, but characteristics of enrollees with heart failure have not been well described. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified 81 874 patients with prevalent heart failure as of January 1, 2010, in a nationally representative 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries. We classified patients according to enrollment in a Medicare Part D plan as of January 1, 2010. Demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, and prescriptions were compared by enrollment status. A total of 49 252 (60.2%) were enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan as of January 1. Enrollees were more often women, black, and of lower socioeconomic status. Enrollees with heart failure more often filled prescriptions for loop diuretics than angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, β-blockers, or aldosterone antagonists. During the first 4 months of 2010, 5444 (12.3%) reached the coverage gap, and 566 (1.3%) required catastrophic coverage beyond the gap. CONCLUSIONS: Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure differ significantly according to enrollment in Part D prescription drug plans and represent a population underrepresented in clinical efficacy trials. Many face the coverage gap, and few select Medicare Part D plans that provide coverage during the gap. Linking Medicare Part D event data with clinical registries could help to determine whether eligible enrollees are undertreated for heart failure.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Am Heart Assoc

DOI

EISSN

2047-9980

Publication Date

September 11, 2013

Volume

2

Issue

5

Start / End Page

e000242

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Prescription Drugs
  • Medicare Part D
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Heart Failure
  • Female
  • Drug Utilization
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
 

Citation

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Eapen, Z. J., Hammill, B. G., Setoguchi, S., Schulman, K. A., Peterson, E. D., Hernandez, A. F., & Curtis, L. H. (2013). Who enrolls in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program? Medication use among patients with heart failure. J Am Heart Assoc, 2(5), e000242. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.113.000242
Eapen, Zubin J., Bradley G. Hammill, Soko Setoguchi, Kevin A. Schulman, Eric D. Peterson, Adrian F. Hernandez, and Lesley H. Curtis. “Who enrolls in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program? Medication use among patients with heart failure.J Am Heart Assoc 2, no. 5 (September 11, 2013): e000242. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.113.000242.
Eapen ZJ, Hammill BG, Setoguchi S, Schulman KA, Peterson ED, Hernandez AF, et al. Who enrolls in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program? Medication use among patients with heart failure. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013 Sep 11;2(5):e000242.
Eapen, Zubin J., et al. “Who enrolls in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program? Medication use among patients with heart failure.J Am Heart Assoc, vol. 2, no. 5, Sept. 2013, p. e000242. Pubmed, doi:10.1161/JAHA.113.000242.
Eapen ZJ, Hammill BG, Setoguchi S, Schulman KA, Peterson ED, Hernandez AF, Curtis LH. Who enrolls in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program? Medication use among patients with heart failure. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013 Sep 11;2(5):e000242.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Am Heart Assoc

DOI

EISSN

2047-9980

Publication Date

September 11, 2013

Volume

2

Issue

5

Start / End Page

e000242

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Prescription Drugs
  • Medicare Part D
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Heart Failure
  • Female
  • Drug Utilization
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology