California Seniors and Prescription Drugs

Publication Date: November 2002

Publisher: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Coverage: California

Abstract:

This report on California seniors and their prescription drugs, conducted by researchers at Tufts-New England Medical Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation, presents new analysis from survey responses of 2,380 California seniors collected in a 2001 survey of seniors in eight states, CA, CO, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA, TX, and released in July of 2002.

This study finds nearly one in five California seniors (18%) were without drug coverage in 2001. Roughly the same share said they did not fill a prescription or skipped doses to make their medications last longer, with higher rates reported among seniors in poor health and those without drug coverage. Out-of-pocket drug spending is a particular concern for California seniors without drug coverage, with 39 percent reporting spending $100 or more per month on their medications. Despite high out-of-pocket drug spending, the majority of seniors (77%) reported never having heard of the state s Medicare pharmacy discount program that was enacted in 1999.