Here are four things to know.
1. Approximately 11 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are diagnosed with COPD, according to the report, which cites a recent letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
2. For treatment, many of these beneficiaries use inhalers, which equates to billions of dollars in Medicare Part D spending annually, according to the report. The report specifically cites CMS data showing the top five inhalers by spending — Advair, Spiriva, Symbicort, Proair and Combivent — were prescribed to nearly 7.5 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries in 2015. Total Medicare Part D spending for Advair reached $2.4 billion in 2015, followed by Spiriva at $2.3 billion.
3. By examining Medicare’s prescription drug formularies in 2015 and accounting to estimated cost of deductible and copays, researchers found Medicare Part D patients with multiple inhalers could pay more than $2,800 in out-of-pocket costs annually, according to Kaiser Health News, which cites the JAMA Internal Medicine study.
4. To combat the expense of these inhalers, David Mannino, MD, at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health in Lexington, said some patients cut back on other medications to save money, by either cutting pills in half or cutting down on the number of times they take their prescription daily, according to the report.
Read the full report here.
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