Medicare doesn't work as well for younger, disabled beneficiaries as it does for older enrollees

Health Affairs

Volumn 29, Issue 9, 2010, Pages 1725-1733

  Cubanski, Juliette ^a   Neuman, Patricia ^a  

^a HENRY J KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; DISABLED PERSON; HEALTH CARE ACCESS; HEALTH CARE COST; HEALTH CARE POLICY; HEALTH CARE QUALITY; HEALTH INSURANCE; HEALTH PROGRAM; HEALTH SERVICE; HEALTH STATUS; HEALTH SURVEY; HUMAN; MEDICAID; MEDICARE; PATIENT SATISFACTION; PRESCRIPTION;

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGE FACTORS; AGED; DISABLED PERSONS; FEMALE; FINANCING, PERSONAL; HEALTH CARE SURVEYS; HEALTH SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY; HEALTH STATUS; HUMANS; INSURANCE COVERAGE; MALE; MEDICARE; MEDICARE PART D; MIDDLE AGED; QUESTIONNAIRES; UNITED STATES; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 79954700846     PISSN: 02782715     EISSN: 15445208     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0962     Document Type: Article

References (14)

1. After qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance, people must wait five months before receiving disability benefits, then an additional twenty-four months before Medicare coverage begins. However, nonelderly people diagnosed with end-stage renal disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis qualify for Medicare upon diagnosis with no waiting period.
2. Foote SM, Hogan C. Disability profile and health care costs of Medicare beneficiaries under age sixty-five. Health Aff (Millwood). 2001;20(6): 242-53.
3. Riley GF, Lubitz JD, Zhang N. Patterns of health care and disability for Medicare beneficiaries under 65. Inquiry. 2003;40(1):71-83.
4. Briesacher B, Stuart B, Doshi J, Kamal-Bahl S, Shea D. Medicare's disabled beneficiaries: the forgotten population in the debate over drug benefits [Internet]. Menlo Park (CA): Kaiser Family Foundation; 2002 Sep [cited 2009 Oct 12]. Available from: http://www.kff.org/medicare/upload/Medicares-Disabled-Beneficiaries-The-Forgotten-Population-in-the-Debate-Over-Drug-Benefits-Report.pdf
5. Hanson KW, Neuman P, Dutwin D, Kasper JD. Uncovering the health challenges facing people with disabilities: the role of health insurance. Health Aff (Millwood). 2003;22(5):w552-65.
6. National Organization on Disability and Harris Interactive. NOD/Harris surveys [Internet]. New York (NY): NOD; 2010 [cited 2010 Jul 30]. Available from: http://www.nod.org/research_publications/nod_harris_survey/
7. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) [Internet]. Baltimore (MD): CMS; 2009 Dec 3 [cited 2010 Mar 13]. Available from: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Limited DataSets/11_MCBS.asp#TopOfPage
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Health Interview Survey on Disability [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): CDC; 2009 Jun 17 [cited 2009 Oct 19]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/nhis_disability.htm
9. An online Technical Appendix provides a detailed discussion of the study data and methods; the characteristics of the sample's nonelderly disabled and elderly Medicare beneficiaries (Appendix Exhibit 1); sources of supplemental and prescription drug coverage among the nonelderly disabled and elderly Medicare beneficiaries (Appendix Exhibit 2); unabridged versions of Exhibits 1-3 (Appendix Exhibits 3-5); and the results of the multivariate logistic models (Appendix Exhibits 6-10). To access the Technical Appendix, click on the Technical Appendix link in the box to the right of the article online.
10. Schenker N, Raghunathan TE, Chiu P, Makuc DM, Zhang G, Cohen AJ. Multiple imputation of missing income data in the National Health Interview Survey. J Am Stat Assoc. 2006;101:924-33.
11. In 2008, the poverty level was $10,040 for individuals and $14,000 for couples
12. Soumerai SB, Pierre-Jacques M, Zhang F, Ross-Degnan D, Adams AS, Gurwitz J, et al. Cost-related medication nonadherence among elderly and disabled Medicare beneficiaries: a national survey 1 year before the Medicare drug benefit. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(17):1829-35.
13. Madden JM, Graves AJ, Zhang F, Adams AS, Briesacher BA, Ross-Degnan D, et al. Cost-related medication nonadherence and spending on basic needs following implementation of Medicare Part D. JAMA. 2008;299(16):1922-8.
14. Dale SB, Verdier JM (Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton, NJ). Elimination of Medicare's waiting period for seriously disabled adults: impact on coverage and costs [Internet]. New York (NY): Commonwealth Fund; 2003 Jul [cited 2009 Oct 12]. (Task Force on the Future of Health Insurance Issue Brief). Available from: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue%20Brief/2003/Jul/Elimination%20of%20Medicares%20Waiting%20Period%20for%20Seriously%20Disabled%20Adults%20%20Impact%20on%20Coverage% 20and%20Costs/660_Dale_elimination%20pdf.pdf