Older US Adults Skipping Meds Because of Price

May 19, 2023

A recently published study in JAMA Network OPEN found that at least 20% of adults 65 and up skipped their medication, cut back their dose, or took drugs intended for other patients due to financial reasons in 2022. The figure is a jump from 2016, when one in seven older patients reported skipping medications for the same reason. Many of those who did maintain their drug regimen faced significant financial hardships.

According to Berkeley Lovelace Jr., “About 30% of the older adults used a copayment card or coupon to afford their medication. A quarter of the respondents asked a physician for a lower-cost medication, and about 17% of them shopped around at pharmacies to find a lower price. More than 8% of respondents said they went without basic needs — like gas and groceries — to afford their medication, while 4.8% of respondents said they went into debt to get their medication.”

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(Source: NBC News, May 18th, 2023)

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