Health Policy Research Update
Reducing patients' out-of-pocket costs is more of a priority to California physicians than minimizing total medication costs, according to a study in the American Journal of Managed Care.
Citing survey findings, the authors conclude that pharmacy designs that link out-of-pocket costs with overall health plan medication costs could benefit the plans partly because of physician sensitivity to their patients' out-of-pocket expenses.
This week's Health Policy Research Update also includes studies addressing:
- Whether generic-only drug coverage affects Medicare beneficiaries' medication usage; and
- How copayments affect new and ongoing users of statins.