People Who Gain Insurance Under ACA Filled More Prescriptions For Less, Study Suggests.

reports consumers under the Affordable Care Act “are filling significantly more prescriptions while paying less for their drugs,” according to a new study which surveyed over 1 billion pharmacy transactions from 2013 and 2014. Researchers compared how a sample of nearly 7 million patients paid for drugs before and after the implementation of the ACA. The Times says the study “credits the health law and adds to evidence of its benefits for previously uninsured Americans and those with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure.” reports one third of those involved in the study did not have coverage prior to the ACA. The gains of the ACA did not appear to be uniform. Lower-income people “were far more likely to benefit” from gaining coverage. Specifically those “who went from being uninsured to enrolling in Medicaid filled 13.3 more prescriptions on average” and “also spent 58 percent less out of pocket for those drugs.” By comparison, those who opted for private insurance, “filled four more prescriptions on average and spent 29 percent less out of pocket.” http://khn.org/news/people-with-obamacare-plans-filled-more-prescriptions-but-had-lower-costs/