Medicine for Everyone?

Unfortunately, Bradley can't rest easy. Shortly after this article runs she will receive word from her insurance company on whether they will continue to cover her medications. The reality is that there are millions like Debbie Bradley who are at risk of losing their medication coverage or they have no coverage at all. The issue of not being able to afford drugs affects American seniors particularly hard. According to a Families USA report, an estimated 80 percent of seniors use a prescription drug every day, and only 30 percent of seniors have some type of drug coverage. This leaves millions of seniors and others without the funds to pay for their medications at a disadvantage.

"This is a major national health issue," says Robert Meenan, MD, dean of Boston University's School of Public Health. "And, ironically, the person who pays the most for medications is the person with the least amount of money." 

Reports indicate that some people are going to the extreme to pay for their medications — taking reduced dosages to make a prescription last longer or buying them from questionable sources. A report from the Journal of Internal Medicine revealed that one in 12 older Americans without prescription drug coverage skips doses or avoids medicine altogether to save money.

Policymakers have been considering adding a prescription drug benefit under Medicare, the 37-year-old national health insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities, which currently does not cover prescription medications. Blame what you will — Sept. 11, budget, Congressional politics, etc. — pundits predict the Medicaid drug benefit has little chance of serious consideration this year.

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