A new grant has been awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's HCFO initiative, examining whether it is cost-effective for healthy Medicare beneficiaries to purchase drug coverage through Part D.
Grant No.: 58099
Title: Study on Informed Choice of Drug Coverage for Medicare Beneficiaries
Institution: University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Principal Investigator: Bryan E. Dowd, Ph.D.
Grant Duration: August, 2006 - July, 2007
Awarded: $106,009.00
Paragraph Summary: The researchers will examine expected lifetime drug expenditures for cohorts of healthy Medicare beneficiaries and compare them with the monthly premiums for those with Medicare Part D drug coverage to determine whether the Medicare Part D drug benefit is a cost-effective option. The researchers hypothesize that seniors use current expenditures to estimate their need for coverage, which could result in a significant underestimate of the true risk. The objective of the project is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Medicare Part D for healthy beneficiaries and provide accurate lifetime drug cost information to help seniors make more informed decisions regarding Medicare Part D coverage.
