TY  - JOUR
AU  - Kaestner,Robert
AU  - Khan,Nasreen
TI  - Medicare Part D and its Effect on the Use of Prescription Drugs, Use of Other Health Care Services and Health of the Elderly
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 16011
PY  - 2010
Y2  - May 2010
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w16011
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w16011.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Robert Kaestner
Institute of Government and Public Affairs
University of Illinois
815 West Van Buren Street, Suite 525
Chicago, IL  60607
Tel: 312/996-8227
E-Mail: kaestner.robert@gmail.com

Nasreen Khan
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
E-Mail: nkhan@salud.unm.edu
AB  - We examine the effect of gaining prescription drug insurance as a result of Medicare Part D on use of prescription drugs, use of other medical services, and health for a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries.  Given the heightened importance of prescription drugs for those with chronic illness, we provide separate estimates for those in poorer health.   We find that gaining prescription drug insurance through Medicare Part D was associated with a 70% increase in the number of annual prescriptions, but that obtaining prescription drug insurance is not significantly related to use of other health care services or health, as measured by functional status and self-reported health.  Among those in poorer health, we find that gaining prescription drug insurance was associated with a 60% increase in the number of annual prescriptions, and is not significantly related to use of other services or health.
ER  -