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Stevenson DG, O'Malley AJ, Dusetzina SB, Mitchell SL, Zarowitz BJ, Chernew ME, Newhouse JP, Huskamp HA. Effect of Part D coverage restrictions for antidepressants, antipsychotics, and cholinesterase inhibitors on related nursing home resident outcomes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2014 Sep;62(62). 1666-74. NIHMSID: NIHMS603156.
Abstract
In 2006, Medicare Part D transitioned prescription drug coverage for dual-eligible nursing home residents from Medicaid to Medicare and randomly assigned them to Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs). Because PDPs may differ in coverage, plans may be more or less generous for drugs that an individual is taking. Taking advantage of the fact that randomization mitigates potential selection bias common in observational studies, this study sought to assess the effect of PDP coverage on resident outcomes for three medication classes--antidepressants, antipsychotics, and cholinesterase inhibitors.