Prescription Drug Benefit Caps Lead To Adverse Patient Outcomes

The New England Journal of Medicine released a report showing that patients with limited drug coverage are significantly more likely to experience adverse medical outcomes than patients with unlimited drug coverage.

The study compared individuals with drug plans that only covered the first $1000 of drugs per year against individuals with drug plans that did not place a cap on the amount of benefits one could receive per year. The group with limited coverage spent 31% less on drugs, but were more likely to be hospitalized than those in the unlimited coverage group, so their overall annual health costs were roughly equal.

Another frightening finding - people with limited drug coverage have an annual death rate which is 22% higher than people with unlimited drug coverage.