Health Insurance Status, Cost-Related Medication Underuse, and Outcomes Among Diabetes Patients in Three Systems of Care

Bibliographic Data

ID9103142
AuthorsJohn D Piette (0000-0002-7241-2798, corresponding author), Todd H Wagner (0000-0001-7625-3504, Stanford University), Michael B Potter (0000-0002-9930-392X, University of California, San Francisco), Dean Schillinger (0000-0002-7221-7327, University of California, San Francisco)
Year2004
Volume42
Issue2
Pages102-109
Publication date2004-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/01.mlr.0000108742.26446.17
PMID14734946
OpenAlexW2010273779
LanguageEN
Citations received32
References cited20

BACKGROUND: Chronically ill patients often experience difficulty paying for their medications and, as a result, use less than prescribed. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the relationship between patients with diabetes' health insurance coverage and cost-related medication underuse, the association between cost-related underuse and health outcomes, and the role of comorbidity in this process. RESEARCH DESIGN: We used a patient survey with linkage to insurance information and hemoglobin A1C (A1C) test results. PATIENTS: We studied 766 adults with diabetes recruited from 3 Veterans Affairs (VA), 1 county, and 1 university healthcare system. MAIN OUTCOMES: Main outcomes consisted of self-reported medication underuse as a result of cost, A1C levels, symptom burden, and Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form physical and mental functioning scores. RESULTS: Fewer VA patients reported cost-related medication underuse (9%) than patients with private insurance (18%), Medicare (25%), Medicaid (31%), or no health insurance (40%; P <0.0001). Underuse was substantially more common among patients with multiple comorbid chronic illnesses, except those who used VA care. The risk of cost-related underuse for patients with 3+ comorbidities was 2.8 times as high among privately insured patients as VA patients (95% confidence interval, 1.2-6.5), and 4.3 to 8.3 times as high among patients with Medicare, Medicaid, or no insurance. Individuals reporting cost-related medication underuse had A1C levels that were substantially higher than other patients (P <0.0001), more symptoms, and poorer physical and mental functioning (all P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Many patients with diabetes use less of their medication than prescribed because of the cost, and those reporting cost-related adherence problems have poorer health. Cost-related adherence problems are especially common among patients with diabetes with comorbid diseases, although the VA's drug coverage may protect patients from this increased risk

Comorbidity · Confidence interval · Diabetes mellitus · Family medicine · Health care · Health insurance · Medicaid · Medical Expenditure Panel Survey · MEDLINE · Psychiatry · Veterans Affairs · Chronic Disease Management Strategies · Healthcare cost, quality, practices · Internal Medicine · Medication Adherence and Compliance · Medicine

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