UMMS Affiliation
Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine; Meyers Primary Care Institute
Date
8-1-2003
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Aged; Cost Sharing; Forecasting; Humans; Income; Insurance Coverage; Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services; jurisprudence; Medicare; Poverty; United States
Disciplines
Health Services Research | Primary Care
Abstract
As Congress continues to debate whether and how to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare, beneficiaries with incomes near the poverty level are in danger of being overlooked. These vulnerable low-income individuals, sometimes labeled the “near poor,” have too much income or too many assets to qualify for public assistance, yet are still quite needy. As a result, they find themselves caught between public programs that are available for the poor and private coverage that is affordable for higher-income beneficiaries.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Caught in Between: Prescription Drug Coverage of Medicare Beneficiaries Near Poverty, Dennis G. Shea, Bruce C. Stuart, and Becky Briesacher, The Commonwealth Fund, August 2003, p.1-8. Link to article on publisher's website
Comments
At the time of publication, Becky Briesacher was not yet affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.