Table 1.
Characteristics of the Comparison Group (Individuals without Medicare, Aged 55–63 years) and the Treatment Group (Medicare Beneficiaries, Aged 65 years and Older) before Part D
|
Comparison† (N = 9,337) |
Treatment‡ (N = 13,585) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Mean | SE | Mean | SE | |
| Dependent variables | |||||
| Any prescriptions filled* | 1 if any prescription gets filled during the year | 0.81 | 0.01 | 0.93 | 0.00 |
| Number of pres. drugs* | Annual number of prescriptions filled | 22.14 | 0.46 | 30.18 | 0.49 |
| Cost of pres. drugs* | Total cost of prescription drugs during the year | 1,602.24 | 37.46 | 2,056.75 | 54.12 |
| Out-of-pocket cost of drugs* | Annual out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs | 590.27 | 15.87 | 1,058.12 | 21.65 |
| Copay* | Annual out-of-pocket cost/annual total cost | 0.46 | 0.01 | 0.58 | 0.01 |
| Independent variables | |||||
| Need-related | |||||
| Age* | Age at the beginning of the year | 58.66 | 0.05 | 74.40 | 0.11 |
| Female* | 1 if individual is female | 0.55 | 0.01 | 0.59 | 0.01 |
| Poor/Fair health* | 1 if individual rates her health as poor/fair | 0.18 | 0.01 | 0.25 | 0.01 |
| Poor/Fair mental health | 1 if individual rates his mental health as poor/fair | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.09 | 0.00 |
| PCS* | Physical component summary SF12 | 46.74 | 0.19 | 40.60 | 0.16 |
| MCS | Mental component summary SF12 | 51.70 | 0.16 | 51.62 | 0.15 |
| Function_index*,§ | Index of physical limitation | 3.68 | 0.14 | 8.93 | 0.16 |
| Diabetes* | 1 if individual diagnosed with diabetes | 0.14 | 0.01 | 0.19 | 0.01 |
| Heart* | 1 if individual has any heart problem | 0.17 | 0.01 | 0.34 | 0.01 |
| Asthma | 1 if individual diagnosed with asthma | 0.11 | 0.01 | 0.09 | 0.00 |
| Arthritis* | 1 if individual diagnosed with arthritis | 0.41 | 0.01 | 0.55 | 0.01 |
| High blood pressure* | 1 if individual diagnosed with high blood pressure | 0.51 | 0.01 | 0.65 | 0.01 |
| Marital status | |||||
| Married* | 1 if individual is married | 0.72 | 0.01 | 0.54 | 0.01 |
| Education | |||||
| Less than high school* | 1 if individual has no high school diploma | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.27 | 0.01 |
| High school (omitted) | 1 if individual has high school diploma | 0.51 | 0.01 | 0.50 | 0.01 |
| College and graduate school* | 1 if individual has a college or graduate degree | 0.30 | 0.01 | 0.18 | 0.01 |
| Other degree* | 1 if individual has other degrees | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Household income level | |||||
| Poor or near poor* | 1 if household income < 125% FPL | 0.10 | 0.01 | 0.17 | 0.01 |
| Low income (omitted)* | 1 if household income is 125–199% FPL | 0.08 | 0.00 | 0.20 | 0.01 |
| Middle income* | 1 if household income is 200–399% FPL | 0.25 | 0.01 | 0.30 | 0.01 |
| High income* | 1 if household income ≥400% FPL | 0.57 | 0.01 | 0.32 | 0.01 |
| Health insurance | |||||
| Medicaid* | 1 if individual has Medicaid | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.00 |
| Private HMO insurance* | 1 if individual holds private HMO insurance | 0.31 | 0.01 | 0.09 | 0.01 |
| Private non-HMO insurance | 1 if individual holds private non-HMO insurance | 0.50 | 0.01 | 0.44 | 0.01 |
| No private* insurance (omitted)* | 1 if individual holds no private insurance | 0.19 | 0.01 | 0.46 | 0.01 |
| Location | |||||
| Northeast | 1 if individual lives in Northeast | 0.20 | 0.01 | 0.21 | 0.01 |
| Midwest | 1 if individual lives in Midwest | 0.24 | 0.01 | 0.23 | 0.01 |
| South | 1 if individual lives in South | 0.37 | 0.01 | 0.37 | 0.01 |
| West | 1 if individual lives in West | 0.19 | 0.01 | 0.19 | 0.01 |
| Metropolitan area | 1 if individual lives in a statistical metropolitan area | 0.80 | 0.01 | 0.78 | 0.01 |
| Language | |||||
| English language | 1 if language of the interview is English | 0.97 | 0.00 | 0.96 | 0.00 |
Note. The variables listed are the explanatory variables in the estimated regression models. Tables A1–A2 report detailed descriptive statistics stratified by race and ethnicity for the comparison and treatment groups for the periods before and after Medicare Part D.
The mean of this variable differs significantly between the comparison and treatment group at the alpha = .01 level.
Comparison group consists of adults without Medicare, aged 55–63 years, who self-report being white, African American, or Hispanic.
Treatment group consists of Medicare beneficiaries, aged 65 years and older, who self-report being white, African American, or Hispanic.
Function-Index is an index of limitations on activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
Source: Data are from the household component files of the 2002–2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.