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| Medicare: Prescription Drugs | | |
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2009 Medicare Part D Data SpotlightsThe Kaiser Family Foundation has three data spotlightrs focusing on key aspects of the drug plans available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2009 and examining relevant trends since the Medicare drug benefit took effect in 2006: premiums, gap coverage, and low-income subsidy plan availability. |
| | Prescription Drugs: Medicare Prescription drug use increases with age along with the prevalence of chronic and acute health problems. However, because Medicare does not cover outpatient prescription drugs, 38% of seniors and younger beneficiaries with disabilities had no drug coverage in the Fall of 1999. Rising drug costs pose challenges for Medicare beneficiaries, who tend to use more medications (averaging 23 per year in 1999) than do younger adults. The Congressional Budget Office projects that total drug spending for the Medicare population will grow from $95 billion in 2003 to $284 billion in 2013, increasing at an average annual rate of over 10% and totaling $1.8 trillion (2004-2013). |
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