Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Problems due to medication costs among VA and non-VA patients with chronic illnesses.

Piette JD, Heisler M. Problems due to medication costs among VA and non-VA patients with chronic illnesses. The American journal of managed care. 2004 Nov 1; 10(11 Pt 2):861-8.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To compare rates of cost-related medication underuse and other problems due to medication costs among Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with rates among patients with Medicaid, private health insurance, Medicare, and no insurance coverage. STUDY DESIGN: Nationwide survey. METHODS: A total of 4055 chronically ill patients completed an online questionnaire regarding cost-related adherence problems for medications used to treat 16 chronic illnesses. Respondents also reported whether they cut back on necessities due to medication costs, increased their debt burden to pay for prescriptions, and worried about how they would pay for their medications. Results: Rates of cost-related medication underuse were lower among VA patients (12%) than among patients with Medicaid (25%; P = .0004), Medicare (22%; P = .001), or no insurance (35%; P < .0001). In multivariate analyses, patients with Medicare or no insurance coverage were more likely than VA patients to forego medication at least once per month due to cost (adjusted odds ratios of 3.4 and 3.9; both P < or = .001). Patients with Medicare or no insurance coverage also were more likely than VA patients to forego basic needs to pay medication costs, borrow money to pay for their treatments, and worry frequently about how they would pay for their medication. CONCLUSION: The VA's prescription benefits may prevent problems due to medication costs. Studies assessing the impact of VA prescription coverage on health outcomes and service use will be needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of VA drug benefit policies.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.