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Did Medicare Part D reduce mortality?

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  • Huh, Jason
  • Reif, Julian

Abstract

We investigate the implementation of Medicare Part D and estimate that this prescription drug benefit program reduced elderly mortality by 2.2% annually. This was driven primarily by a reduction in cardiovascular mortality, the leading cause of death for the elderly. There was no effect on deaths due to cancer, a condition whose drug treatments are covered under Medicare Part B. We validate these results by demonstrating that the changes in drug utilization following the implementation of Medicare Part D match the mortality patterns we observe. We calculate that the value of the mortality reduction is equal to $5 billion per year.

Suggested Citation

  • Huh, Jason & Reif, Julian, 2017. "Did Medicare Part D reduce mortality?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 17-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:53:y:2017:i:c:p:17-37
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.01.005
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    9. Donghoon Lee & SangJune Kim & Jerome A. Dugan, 2024. "The effect of prescription drug insurance on the incidence of potentially inappropriate prescribing: Evidence from Medicare Part D," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 137-152, January.
    10. Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2018. "Social Insurance and Health," Contributions to Economic Analysis, in: Health Econometrics, volume 127, pages 57-84, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    11. Américo, Pedro & Rocha, Rudi, 2020. "Subsidizing access to prescription drugs and health outcomes: The case of diabetes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    12. Black, Bernard & Hollingsworth, Alex & Nunes, Letícia & Simon, Kosali, 2022. "Simulated power analyses for observational studies: An application to the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    13. Abraham Abebe Asfaw, 2019. "The effect of prescription drug insurance on health behavior: Evidence from Medicare Part D," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 403-418, March.
    14. Chiara Orsini, 2019. "The mortality effects of changing public funding for home health care: An empirical analysis of Medicare home health care in the United States," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(7), pages 921-936, July.
    15. Ghosh, Ausmita & Simon, Kosali & Sommers, Benjamin D., 2019. "The Effect of Health Insurance on Prescription Drug Use Among Low-Income Adults:Evidence from Recent Medicaid Expansions," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 64-80.
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    18. Amitabh Chandra & Evan Flack & Ziad Obermeyer, 2021. "The Health Costs of Cost-Sharing," NBER Working Papers 28439, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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