AARP Michigan Prescription Drug Sruvey · 2018-08-23 · Prescription Medications in the Past Year...

2002 AARP Michigan Prescription Drug Survey

Data Collected by FGI, Inc. Report Prepared by Susan L. Silberman, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2002 AARP

Knowledge Management 601 E Street NW

Washington, D.C., 20049 HTTP://RESEARCH.AARP.ORG Reprinting with Permission Only

http://research.aarp.org

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50 and over. We provide information and resources; advocate on legislative, consumer, and legal issues; assist members to serve their communities; and offer a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for our members. These benefits include AARP Webplace at www.aarp.org, AARP Modern Maturity, and My Generation magazines, the monthly AARP Bulletin, and a Spanish-language newspaper, Segunda Juventud. Active in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP celebrates the attitude that age is just a number and life is what you make it.

Acknowledgements

AARP staff from the Michigan State Office, State Affairs, and Knowledge Management contributed to the design and implementation of this study. Special thanks go to Steve Gools, Ilene Henshaw, John Luehrs, Gretchen Straw, Darlene Matthews, Cheryl Barnes, and Erica Dinger. Susan L. Silberman, Knowledge Management, was the project manager. For more information, contact Susan L. Silberman at (202) 434-6339

AARP Michigan Prescription Drug Survey 1

AARP Michigan Prescription Drug Survey

Background

Prescription drugs are the fastest rising component of personal health expenditures. Spending on prescription drugs surged for the fourth consecutive year, climbing 17.1 percent in 2001. Contributing to the rise in spending was the increase in the average cost of a prescription that jumped 10.1 percent to $49.84. Additionally, the number of prescriptions dispensed at pharmacies rose 6.8 percent to 3.1 billion.1 In Michigan, the average price of a retail prescription was $45.91 in 20002. This is 1.1 percent above the national average price of a retail prescription. Moreover, the average number of prescriptions in Michigan per capita is 11.8. The national average is 10.3. This is 15 percent above the national average number of prescriptions. Michiganders use more prescriptions drugs and pay more for the prescriptions they fill. The AARP Michigan Prescription Drug Survey examines:

• The importance Michigan AARP members place on making prescription drugs more affordable

• The level of support for increasing funding for the Elderly Prescription Insurance Coverage program

• The types of behaviors and decisions individuals make when buying prescriptions

• The level of concern Michigan members express about being able to afford prescription drugs

The survey was mailed to 2,000 randomly selected AARP members in April 2002, and 1,254 surveys were returned for a response rate of 63 percent. Michigan has approximately 1.4 million AARP members that make up 53 percent of the state’s 50 and older population.

1 “Prescription Drug Expenditures in 2001: Another Year of Escalating Costs.” National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation, May 2002. 2 State Health Facts Online. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.


Report Organization

The findings section presents the survey data. The results are reported as percentages3. An annotated questionnaire, appended to the report, discloses all survey responses and provides a demographic profile of respondents.

Findings

More than Nine in Ten Members Believe It Is Important for the State of Michigan To Make Prescription Drugs More Affordable Making prescription drugs more affordable is important to Michigan AARP members. More than nine in ten members think is it very important (76%) or somewhat important (18%) for the state of Michigan to make prescription drug costs more affordable.

76%

18%

4% 2%0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Very Important

SomewhatImportant

Not VeryImportant

Not At AllImportant

3 Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Also some graphs do not include respondents who refused to answer or said “Not Sure.” Similarly, graphs do not include categories with less than 1% response.

Importance of Affordable Prescription Drugs (n=1254)


Three in Four Members Support Increasing Funding for the Elderly Prescription Insurance Program

In 2001, Michigan introduced the Elderly Prescription Insurance Coverage or EPIC program to help elderly low-income residents pay for their prescription drug costs. EPIC is a drug discount program with a $25 enrollment fee. It replaced a prescription voucher program and a prescription drug tax credit. Survey respondents were asked their level of support for increasing the funding for the EPIC program to make it available to everyone who meets the income eligibility requirements, even if it meant delaying a reduction in state taxes. Three-quarters of Michigan members strongly support (49%) or somewhat support (25%) increased funding for EPIC.

Half of Michigan Members Report Having a Problem Paying for Prescription Medications in the Past Year

Paying for prescription medications has been a problem for respondents over the past twelve months. Eighteen percent of Michigan members report that paying for prescription medications has been a major problem while thirty-two percent say it has been a minor problem.

Support for Increased Funding for EPIC (n=1254)

49%

25%

5%16%

3%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

StronglySupport

SomewhatSupport

SomewhatOppose

StronglyOppose

Not Sure


Over Half of the Michigan Members Surveyed Pay $50 or More Per Month For Out-Of-Pocket Prescription Drug Expenses

Survey respondents were asked approximately how much they spend each month out of their own pocket for prescription drugs. In the past year, the majority of respondents (53%) report they have spent $50 or more per month for out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses. Thirty percent of respondents report spending between $10 and $50 per month.

Two-thirds of Michigan Members Are Concerned About Being Able to Afford Prescription Drugs Over the Next Two Years

Michigan members are concerned about being able to afford the cost of needed prescription drugs over the next two years. Two-thirds are very concerned (35%) or somewhat concerned (32%) about affording prescription medication over the next two years.

Concern About Being Able to Afford Prescription Drugs (n = 1254)

32%19%

35%

11%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Very Concerned

SomewhatConcerned

Not VeryConcerned

Not At AllConcerned

Monthly Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Expenses(n=1254)

3%

10%

18%

30%

15%

23%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

$500 +

$200 - < $500

$100 - < $200

$50 - < $100

$10 - < $50

< $10


Michigan Members and Their Families Faced Difficult Decisions When Buying Prescription Drugs In the Past Year

Michigan AARP members and their families have made a range of decisions as they purchased prescription drugs. We explored two decisions that they might make to save money: purchasing via the Internet or by mail and traveling to Canada. Twenty-seven percent of members or their families used one or both of these cost saving strategies. Purchasing prescriptions over the Internet was the more common of these two cost saving behaviors.

Decisions By Members or Their Families When Buying Prescription Drugs

(n=1254)

17%

16%

11%

4%

16%

25%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Order by Mail/Internet

Taken Less Medicine Than Prescribed

Not Fill Prescription

Delayed Filling Prescription

Cut Back on Food, Fuel or Electricity

Travel to Canada

The remaining four decisions they might make – taking less medication than prescribed, not filling prescriptions, delaying filling prescriptions and cutting back on food, fuel or electricity – put patients at-risk because they do not receive the full benefits from their prescriptions or because they ensure patients will cut back on other daily necessities. Twenty-eight percent of Michigan members or their family members engaged in one or more of these behaviors. Seventeen percent of survey respondents or their families took less medicine than their doctor prescribed to make the medicine last longer, sixteen percent delayed getting prescriptions filled because they did not have enough money to pay for the medication, and another sixteen percent decided not to fill a prescription because of the cost of the drug. Eleven percent cut back on items such as food, fuel, or electricity to be able to afford a prescription drug.


Conclusions

Michigan members believe it is important for the State of Michigan to make prescription drug costs more affordable. They support increasing funding for the Elderly Prescription Insurance Coverage program so it can be available to everyone who meets eligibility requirements, even if it means a delay in reducing state taxes. Over the past twelve months, Michigan members have faced problems paying for prescription medication. More than half of members have spent approximately $50 or more per month out-of-pocket on prescription drugs. They are concerned about affording the costs of prescription drugs over the next two years. When purchasing prescription medications, Michigan members are making difficult decisions such as taking less medication than prescribed, delaying getting a prescription filled or deciding not to fill a prescription due to cost considerations.

Methodology

In April 2002, a random sample of 2,000 AARP members received the mail survey. Each respondent was contacted a total of four times. They received a pre-notification card, the survey itself, a reminder card, and a second survey. Michigan members returned 1,254 surveys by the May 24th cut off date yielding a total response rate of 63%. The sampling error is ± 2.77 percent4. FGI, Inc. tabulated the survey results. Because the proportion of AARP members in one of the three age groups that responded to the survey was statistically different from the proportion of AARP members in that age segment in Michigan, weighting was applied to correct for this imbalance. Responses to all survey questions are in the attached annotated questionnaire.

4 Sampling error means that in 95 out of 100 samples of the same size (1,254), the results obtained in the sample would fall in a range of ± 2.77 percentage points of what would have been obtained if every single AARP member in Michigan had been surveyed.


Appendix Annotated Questionnaire


2002 AARP Michigan Prescription Drug Survey

AARP MEMBERS = 1,254; RESPONSE RATE = 63%; SAMPLING ERROR = + 2.77% (Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding or multiple responses. A “*” means less than 1%)

1) Have you or a family member bought a prescription drug within the past two years? %

96 Yes 3 No <.5 Not sure <.5 No response

2) In the past 12 months, has paying for prescription medications been a major problem, a minor problem, or not a problem for you? %

18 A major problem 32 A minor problem 50 Not a problem 1 No response

3) In the past 12 months, approximately how much have you spent, each month, out of your own pocket for prescription drugs? %

15 Less than $10 per month 30 $10 but less than $50 per month 23 $50 but less than $100 per month 18 $100 but less than $200 per month 10 $200 but less than $500 per month 3 $500 or more per month 2 Not sure 1 No response

4) How concerned are you about being able to afford the cost of needed prescription drugs over the next two years? %

35 Very concerned 32 Somewhat concerned 19 Not very concerned 11 Not at all concerned 3 Not sure <.5 No response


5) Many people face difficult decisions when buying prescription drugs. In the past 12 months, have you or family member done any of the following? In the past 12 months, have you or a family member…

Yes No Not Sure

No Response

a. delayed getting a prescription filled

because you didn’t have enough money to pay for it?

16% 80% 2 % 2%

b. taken less medicine than your doctor

prescribed to make it last longer?

17% 81% 1% 2%

c. cut back on items such as food, fuel, or electricity to be able to afford a prescription drug?

11% 85% 2% 2%

d. ordered your prescription drugs by mail

or Internet because they cost less?

25% 72% 1% 2%

e. decided not to fill a prescription because of the cost of the drug?

16% 81% 1% 2%

f. traveled to Canada to purchase prescription drugs because they cost less?

4% 94% <.5 2%

6) How important is it to you that the state of Michigan make prescription drug costs more affordable? %

76 Very important 18 Somewhat important 4 Not very important 2 Not at all important 1 Not sure <.5 No response


7) In 2001, Michigan introduced the Elderly Prescription Insurance Coverage or EPIC program to help elderly low-income residents pay for their prescription costs. EPIC is a drug discount program with a $25 enrollment fee. It replaced a prescription voucher program and a prescription drug tax credit. Currently, there is not enough funding for the EPIC program to serve everyone who meets eligibility requirements. Would you support or oppose increasing the funding for the EPIC program so it would be available to everyone who meets the income eligibility requirements, even if it meant delaying a reduction in state taxes? %

49 Strongly support 25 Somewhat support 5 Somewhat oppose 3 Strongly oppose 16 Not sure 2 No response

About You

The following questions are for classification purposes only and will be kept entirely confidential.

D8) Are you male or female? %

51 Male 48 Female 1 No response

D9) What is your age as of your last birthday? ________ (in years) %

33 50-59 40 60-74 22 75+ 5 No response


D10) What is your current marital status? %

60 Now married 21 Widowed 13 Divorced 1 Separated 5 Never married 1 No response

D11) What is the highest level of education that you completed? %

9 Less than high school 27 High school graduate or equivalent 39 Some college or technical training beyond high school 11 College graduate (4 years) 14 Post-graduate or professional degree 1 No response

D12) Are you Hispanic, Spanish, or Latino? %

1 Yes 96 No <.5 Not sure 3 No response

D13) What is your race? %

92 White or Caucasian 6 Black or African American <.5 Asian 1 Native American or Alaskan Native 0 Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 2 No response


D14) Which of the following best describes your current employment status? %

27 Employed or self-employed full-time 9 Employed or self-employed part-time 56 Retired and not working 4 Other such as homemaker 2 Unemployed and looking for work 1 No response

D15) Which of the following best describes your voting behavior in state elections, that is elections for Michigan Governor and State Legislators, held in the past ten years? Would you say you have voted in nearly all, most, some or a few of the state elections? %

75 Nearly all 12 Most 5 Some 4 A few 4 Not sure 1 No response

D16) What was your annual household income before taxes in 2001? %

5 Less than $10,000 16 $10,000 to $19,999 17 $20,000 to $29,999 14 $30,000 to $39,999 10 $40,000 to $49,999 13 $50,000 to $74,999 16 $75,000 or more 10 No response

Thank you for completing this survey. Please use the postage-paid envelope and return it to State Member Research Surveys, AARP, 601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20049, by May 24, 2002.

AARP Knowledge Management

For more information contact Susan Silberman (202) 434-6339

AARP Michigan Prescription Drug Sruvey · 2018-08-23 · Prescription Medications in the Past Year...

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