Studies from University of Pittsburgh Update Current Data on Health and Society (Medicaid Coverage ‘cliff ‘ Increases Expenses and Decreases Care for Near-poor Medicare Beneficiaries)

2021 MAY 24 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Research findings on Health and Medicine - Health and Society are discussed in a new report. According to news reporting out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Cost sharing in traditional Medicare can consume a substantial portion of the income of beneficiaries who do not have supplemental insurance from Medicaid, an employer, or a Medigap plan. Near-poor Medicare beneficiaries (with incomes more than 100 percent but less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level) are ineligible for Medicaid but frequently lack alternative supplemental coverage, resulting in a supplemental coverage ‘cliff’ of 25.8 percentage points just above the eligibility threshold for Medicaid (100 percent of poverty).”

Funders for this research include Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, University of Pittsburgh Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (National Institute on Aging).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Pittsburgh, “We estimated that beneficiaries affected by this supplemental coverage cliff incurred an additional $2,288 in out-of-pocket spending over the course of two years, used 55 percent fewer outpatient evaluation and management services per year, and filled fewer prescriptions. Lower prescription drug use was partly driven by low take-up of Part D subsidies, which Medicare beneficiaries automatically receive if they have Medicaid.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Expanding eligibility for Medicaid supplemental coverage and increasing take-up of Part D subsidies would lessen cost-related barriers to health care among near-poor Medicare beneficiaries.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Medicaid Coverage ‘cliff ‘ Increases Expenses and Decreases Care for Near-poor Medicare Beneficiaries. Health Affairs, 2021;40(4):552-561. Health Affairs can be contacted at: Project Hope, 7500 Old Georgetown Rd, Ste 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-6133, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Eric T. Roberts, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Dept. of Health Policy and Management, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States. Additional authors for this research include Alexandra Glynn, Noelle Cornelio, Julie M. Donohue, Lindsay M. Sabik, Walid F. Gellad and J. Michael McWilliams.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.02272. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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