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Many Americans Going Without Prescription Medications Because Of Cost
According to a recent report by the Center for Studying Health System Change
(HSC), at least 36 million young and working-age Americans went without a
prescribed medicine because of its cost in 2007. HSC’s 2007 Health Tracking
Household Survey found that 14 percent of Americans under age 65 could not
afford to fill at least one prescription in 2007, compared with 10 percent in
2003.
“The ability of many people to afford prescription drugs is likely to
deteriorate as the economy continues to decline,” the report said.
Working-age, uninsured adults with at least one chronic disease experienced
the most difficulties, with almost two-thirds saying they had to forgo
prescribed medications in 2007.
The study found that the rate of affordability problems increased to 35
percent from 26 percent among uninsured adults, and from 9 percent to 11 percent
among adults with employer-sponsored insurance. HSC attributed the increase in
unmet needs among employed, insured adults to deteriorating drug coverage in
employee health plans. Although children’s unmet drug needs are lower than
adults’, the study found that their rate of affordability problems still rose
from 3 percent to 5 percent.
The HSC report noted that pharmaceutical manufacturers do offer assistance
programs for uninsured and low-income people, but “the programs are limited and
enrollment can be complicated.”
For more information on the study, please click here.