California Seniors and Prescription Drugs
This report on California seniors and their prescription drugs, conducted by researchers at Tufts-New England Medical Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation, presents new analysis from survey responses of 2,380 California seniors collected in a 2001 survey of seniors in eight states, CA, CO, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA, TX, and released in July of 2002. A link to the full survey can be found below.
This study finds nearly one in five California seniors (18%) were without drug coverage in 2001. Roughly the same share said they did not fill a prescription or skipped doses to make their medications last longer, with higher rates reported among seniors in poor health and those without drug coverage. Out-of-pocket drug spending is a particular concern for California seniors without drug coverage, with 39 percent reporting spending $100 or more per month on their medications. Despite high out-of-pocket drug spending, the majority of seniors (77%) reported never having heard of the state s Medicare pharmacy discount program that was enacted in 1999.
