Aging Into Medicare Tied to Higher Drug Costs for People With Diabetes
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2024 -- As people with diabetes age into Medicare, they face increased quarterly out-of-pocket costs for medication, according to a study published online July 9 in JAMA Network Open.
Douglas Barthold, Ph.D., from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues examined whether reaching age 65 years is associated with changes in type 2 diabetes (T2D) medication out-of-pocket costs and utilization. The analysis included seven years of prescription drug claims data for 129,997 individuals with T2D identified from the TriNetX Diamond Network (before and after turning 65 years).
The researchers found that reaching age 65 years was associated with an increase of $23.04 in mean quarterly out-of-pocket costs for T2D drugs, including an increase of $56.36 at the 95th percentile of spending, after utilization adjustment. At age 65 years, utilization decreased by 5.3 percent (3.40 claims per quarter to 3.22 claims per quarter). A shift in utilization composition showed increased insulin use, which was associated with additional increases in patient costs.
"The increased patient cost burden at age 65 years and a modest reduction in overall T2D drug utilization suggest that as people with T2D age into Medicare, there is potentially an increase in nonadherence and diabetes complications," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Familial Recurrence Rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder 20.2 Percent
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2024 -- The familial recurrence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is 20.2 percent, which has not changed significantly from previous estimates, according...
Race, Ethnic Disparities Seen in Age-Adjusted Prevalence of Arthritis
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2024 -- The age-adjusted prevalence of arthritis varies by race and ethnicity, with higher prevalence seen among American Indian/Alaska Native adults...
Active Commuters Have Lower Risks for Morbidity, Mortality
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2024 -- Active commuters who cycle or walk to work have lower risks for morbidity and mortality, according to a study published online July 16 in BMJ Public...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.