Jan

29

Survey shows more Americans unable to afford prescriptions in 2007

By Case Management Weekly

A recent report by the Center for Studying Health System Change, a nonpartisan policy research organization, states that one in seven Americans under age 65 went without a prescription drug in 2007 because they could not afford it. The study shows the effect increased drug prices were having even before the economic recession went into full swing: in 2003, only one in 10 Americans said they couldn’t afford their prescriptions.

According to the study, people who were most likely to be unable to afford their prescriptions were uninsured and suffering from a chronic condition. Without their medications, their conditions were likely to worsen, causing them to seek expensive medical treatment.

However, in the recent survey, insured Americans were not immune to prescription pricing troubles. One in 10 Americans insured by their employer reported going without a prescription because of cost, also up from the last study in 2003.

Source: The New York Times