Examining Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Outreach

Studies examineMedicare prescription drug benefit outreach efforts and access to care among uninsuredmiddle-class, low-income children.

• "Medicare Part D: State and Local Efforts To Assist Vulnerable Beneficiaries," Commonwealth Fund: The brief, by Laura Summer and colleagues, identifies key "best practices" of national Medicare prescription drug benefit outreach and education initiatives, including collaborative efforts and programs to provide assistance for culturally and linguistically diverse populations (National Senior Citizens Law Center release, 5/5).
• "Uninsured Kids in Middle Class Have Same Unmet Needs as Poor," University of Rochester Medical Center: The study by Laura Shone of URMC found that uninsured children in families with incomes between $38,000 and $77,000 are just as likely to go without health care services as uninsured children in lower-income families. In addition, more than 40% of children in the higher income brackets who are uninsured all year do not see physicians or have any use of prescription medicines during the year (URMC release, 5/5).

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