The Impact Of Drug Coverage On COX-2 Inhibitor Use In Medicare

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Abstract
Passage of the Medicare drug benefit legislation has renewed attention to the relationship between drug coverage and medication use. This study assesses the impact of drug coverage on COX-2 inhibitor use among elderly people with osteoarthritis, taking into account risk for adverse gastrointestinal events. COX-2 use among aged beneficiaries with the most generous coverage was twice that of those with no third-party coverage. COX-2 use also increased with increasing gastrointestinal risk. However, this risk differential in COX-2 use disappears among those with the most generous coverage. Potential overuse of costly medications should be addressed as the Medicare drug benefit is being phased in.