Medication costs may lead to higher ER use

Disabled Medicare beneficiaries who struggle to afford their medications are more likely to visit the emergency room (ER), according to a study published in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Of the 7,177 beneficiaries surveyed, 8.2 percent reported having “severe cost-related medication nonadherence,” while another 7.5 percent reported “mild” difficulty paying for their prescribed medications. Researchers then tallied the number of ER visits within each category.

The study showed a relationship between medication cost issues and ER visits. But Medicare seniors, often identified as overusers ER resources, were not the highest ER-using group. Those most likely to end up in an ER because of cost-related medication noncompliance are disabled Medicare beneficiaries under age 65.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.