State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs: Lessons for Design of a National Benefit, Phase Two
Award Amount:
$150,000
Approval Date:
April 9, 2002
Start Date:
May 1, 2002
End Date:
October 1, 2003
Rutgers University
30 College Avenue
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
Principal Investigator:
Stephen Crystal, Ph.D.
The first phase of this study revealed that state pharmacy programs provide some elderly Medicare beneficiaries with limited access to affordable prescription drugs. Budget pressures, however, may compel states to contract their eligibility and benefits, leaving beneficiaries more vulnerable to high out-of-pocket expenses for medications. In the second phase, project staff will track the evolution of state pharmacy programs and analyze emerging approaches for providing affordable prescription drugs, such as discount programs and state purchasing cooperatives. Findings from this work will impart valuable lessons relevant to the design of a future Medicare drug benefit.