Boukus Ellyn R, Carrier Emily R
Track Rep. 2011 Dec(27):1-5.
Despite the weak economy and more people lacking health insurance, the proportion of Americans reporting problems affording prescription drugs remained level between 2007 and 2010, with more than one in eight going without a prescribed drug in 2010, according to a new national study from the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). While remaining stable overall, access to prescription drugs improved for working-age, uninsured people, likely reflecting a decline in visits to health care providers, as well as changes in the composition of the uninsured population. Likewise, elderly people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid saw a sharp drop in prescription drug access problems. The most vulnerable people--the uninsured, those with low incomes, people in fair or poor health, and those with multiple chronic conditions--continued to face the most unmet prescription needs. For example, 48 percent of uninsured people in fair or poor health went without a prescription drug because of cost concerns in 2010, almost double the rate of insured people with the same reported health status.
尽管经济疲软且更多人缺乏医疗保险，但根据医疗体系变革研究中心（HSC）的一项新的全国性研究，在2007年至2010年期间，称难以负担处方药费用的美国人比例保持稳定，2010年有超过八分之一的人未按处方买药。虽然总体上保持稳定，但在职年龄、未参保人群获取处方药的情况有所改善，这可能反映出就医次数减少以及未参保人群构成的变化。同样，有资格享受医疗保险和医疗补助的老年人在处方药获取方面的问题大幅减少。最脆弱的人群——未参保者、低收入者、健康状况一般或较差者以及患有多种慢性病者——仍然面临着最未得到满足的处方药需求。例如，2010年，48%健康状况一般或较差的未参保者因费用问题未按处方买药，几乎是报告健康状况相同的参保者比例的两倍。
