Sebastian Schneeweiss, M.D., associate professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues published the article, “The Effect of Medicare Part D Coverage on Drug Use and Cost Sharing Among Seniors without Prior Drug Benefits,” in a February 3 Health Affairs web exclusive. This article highlights findings from a HCFO-sponsored study that assessed changes in prescription drug use among elderly patients who had no prescription drug coverage prior to Medicare Part D.
Austin B. Frakt, Ph.D, health economist at the Boston University, and Steven D. Pizer, Ph.D., assistant professor at Boston University, published the article, “Beneficiary Price Sensitivity in the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Market,” in the February 3 online edition of Health Economics. The article highlights findings from a HCFO-sponsored study examining how Medicare private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans and beneficiary choices are affected by payment policy.
Kathleen Thiede Call, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Minnesota, and colleagues published the article, “Accuracy in Self-Reported Health Insurance Coverage Among Medicaid Enrollees,” in the Winter 2008/2009 issue of Inquiry. The article highlights finding from a HCFO-sponsored study that examined whether limitations in population surveys and the collection of administrative data lead to an undercount in the number of individuals with Medicaid coverage, which in turn can bias estimates of the uninsured.
Sharon B. Arnold, Ph.D., director of the HCFO program, and Dennis P. Scanlon, Ph.D., associate professor at Pennsylvania State University, were guest editors for the February 2009 special supplemental issue of Medical Care Research and Review titled, “Realizing True Consumer-Directed Health Care: What the Policy Community Needs.” This issue, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, includes papers commissioned for a January 2007 colloquium that examine consumer interaction with the health care system and identify opportunities for increased consumer engagement.
