Health Policy Research Update
Medicare prescription drug coverage could expand beneficiaries' access to cancer treatments, with the generally low copayments under Medicare prescription drug plans receiving at least partial credit for making the drugs more affordable, according to a study by researchers from the health care advisory firm Avalere Health. The study appeared in the journal Health Affairs.
Although the authors credited the drug benefit with expanding access to cancer drugs, they cautioned that some plans' requirements to seek prior authorization might restrict access to some cancer treatments.
This week's Health Policy Research Update also includes:
- Articles addressing a Massachusetts law that requires residents to maintain health insurance coverage; and
- A study considering the effect on people with asthma of living near high-traffic areas.