Prescription Drug Costs and Coverage, Public Opinion, Research & Recent Legislation

Sort Documents by:

Document Type:

Date Range:

Prescription Drug Trends 2007 Update
Trend data for prescription drug coverage, expenditures, and the key factors that contribute to rising prescription spending.

Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising on Prescription Drug Spending
The effects of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising on spending for prescription drugs.

Recent Documents: (225 results)

Pages 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 >>

Public Views on Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising -- May 2008
Mollyann Brodie, Kaiser vice president and director of Public Opinion and Media Research, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the public's views of prescription drugs, the pharmaceutical industry, and direct-to-consumer drug advertising.

Public and Physician Views of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising -- May 2008
This spotlight examines the public's familiarity with prescription drug advertising, their general opinions of these ads, and their experiences talking to doctors about drugs they saw advertised. It also explores these topics from the doctors’ point of view. The spotlight compiles and analyzes public opinion data from Kaiser surveys and other sources.

Snapshots: Offer Rates for Smaller Establishments by Business Age -- May 2008
This new analysis focuses on how the age of a business influences whether a small establishment offers health insurance coverage to its employees. It is part of the Foundation's online series Snapshots: Health Care Costs.

Views On Prescription Drugs & The Pharmaceutical Industry -- May 2008
Kaiser Public Opinion Spotlight: Views On Prescription Drugs And The Pharmaceutical Industry

Medicare Part D 2008 Data Spotlight: Ten Most Common Brand-Name Drugs -- April 2008
This Medicare Part D Data Spotlight examines the variation in coverage, cost sharing and utilization management tools for the 10 prescriptions most commonly used by Medicare beneficiaries, including treatments for cholesterol, cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, dementia, gastrointestinal reflux and ulcers.

Medicare Part D 2008 Data Spotlight: Low-Income Subsidy Plan Availability -- April 2008
This Medicare Part D Data Spotlight focuses on the availability of drug plans for beneficiaries receiving the Part D low-income subsidy in 2008 and changes since 2006.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans in 2008 and Key Changes Since 2006: Summary of Findings -- April 2008
This synthesis of key findings from analysis presented in a series of eight Medicare Part D 2008 Data Spotlights describes key features of stand-alone prescription drug plans offered in 2008 and trends since 2006.

Snapshots: Employer Health Insurance Costs and Worker Compensation -- March 2008
This analysis by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers examines employers' payroll and health care costs and examines wide variations in those costs by occupation and firm size. It is part of the Foundation's online series, Snapshots: Health Care Costs.

USA Today/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health Survey: The Public on Prescription Drugs and Pharmaceutical Companies -- March 2008
Designed and analyzed jointly by the three partners, this USA Today/Kaiser/Harvard survey provides a comprehensive look at Americans’ views on, and experiences with, prescription drugs and the pharmaceutical industry, including drug costs, advertisements, safety issues, government regulation and medical research.

Low-Income Assistance Under the Medicare Drug Benefit -- February 2008
This fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare drug benefit and the additional subsidies available to certain eligible low-income beneficiaries.

Mollyann Brodie, Kaiser vice president and director of Public Opinion and Media Research, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the public's views of prescription drugs, the pharmaceutical industry, and direct-to-consumer drug advertising.

This spotlight examines the public's familiarity with prescription drug advertising, their general opinions of these ads, and their experiences talking to doctors about drugs they saw advertised. It also explores these topics from the doctors’ point of view. The spotlight compiles and analyzes public opinion data from Kaiser surveys and other sources.

This new analysis focuses on how the age of a business influences whether a small establishment offers health insurance coverage to its employees. It is part of the Foundation's online series Snapshots: Health Care Costs.

Kaiser Public Opinion Spotlight: Views On Prescription Drugs And The Pharmaceutical Industry

This Medicare Part D Data Spotlight examines the variation in coverage, cost sharing and utilization management tools for the 10 prescriptions most commonly used by Medicare beneficiaries, including treatments for cholesterol, cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, dementia, gastrointestinal reflux and ulcers.

This Medicare Part D Data Spotlight focuses on the availability of drug plans for beneficiaries receiving the Part D low-income subsidy in 2008 and changes since 2006.

This synthesis of key findings from analysis presented in a series of eight Medicare Part D 2008 Data Spotlights describes key features of stand-alone prescription drug plans offered in 2008 and trends since 2006.

This analysis by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers examines employers' payroll and health care costs and examines wide variations in those costs by occupation and firm size. It is part of the Foundation's online series, Snapshots: Health Care Costs.

Designed and analyzed jointly by the three partners, this USA Today/Kaiser/Harvard survey provides a comprehensive look at Americans’ views on, and experiences with, prescription drugs and the pharmaceutical industry, including drug costs, advertisements, safety issues, government regulation and medical research.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare drug benefit and the additional subsidies available to certain eligible low-income beneficiaries.

View all items >

Pages 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 >>

Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs have grown to become an essential component of health care. For millions of Americans, prescription therapies are necessary to their health and ability to function in society. While prescriptions are a relatively small share of overall health spending (11%), they are a key driver of health spending trends, growing almost twice as fast all other health services in recent years.

Public attention has focused on prescription drugs and on the pharmaceutical industry because of the very rapid growth of drug costs and because a significant portion of the population lacks insurance to cover the costs of the drugs they need. Older Americans, who use a disproportionate share of prescription drugs, are less likely to have coverage than younger people because Medicare generally does not cover outpatient pharmaceutical costs. Higher drug costs are placing a stress in public and private insurance programs, and are an important component of the recent growth in state Medicaid spending. Methods of controlling prescription costs (such formularies, requiring generic rather than brand name drugs, tiered copayments) are being used, and their impact on costs and consumers studied. Many of these prescription issues are being examined as policymakers explore options for expanding Medicare’s coverage to include outpatient drugs.

The Foundation’s work on the topic of prescription drugs cuts across private sector, Medicare, and Medicaid program areas. Basic information about the market for prescription drugs, including data on costs and coverage, is provided in chartbooks and factsheets. Surveys and reports look at the issues surrounding adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare; recent legislation on this topic is summarized and explained as well. Recent state efforts to modify their Medicaid prescription programs and pharmaceutical assistance programs are discussed in several reports and fact sheets. The issue of drug promotion by drug manufacturers is also analyzed in a series of reports. The Foundation’s web site for in-depth coverage of health policy news (www.kaisernetwork.org) provides an Issue Spotlight on prescription drugs. The Foundation’s State Health Facts Online website (www.statehealthfacts.kff.org) provides state data on prescription use, sales, and average prices.