Prescription coverage adds to satisfaction with Medicare

MANAGED CARE March 2003. ©MediMedia USA

As the debate about how to fund a prescription drug benefit in Medicare heats up, a Commonwealth Fund study indicates just how much such coverage contributes to beneficiaries' satisfaction.

"Medicare beneficiaries who have prescription drug coverage were 50 percent more likely than those without it to rate their insurance as excellent and half as likely to report medical-bill problems," the report states. Responses from the elderly were part of a survey of 3,457 adults age 19 and older.

Drug benefit correlates with satisfaction

SOURCE: THE COMMONWEALTH FUND 2001 HEALTH INSURANCE SURVEY