Older women can lose out under managed care
Older women, who as a population need more medical care than men, are disproportionately hindered from receiving treatment in managed care settings because of the focus on the bottom line, according to a report by University of Utah doctors. The report, presented to Congress in May, discussed how women over 50 fare under managed care practices.
At the presentation, Johnetta Marshall, president of the Older Women’s League explained, "Older women have more illness than men and, as a result, need more access to specialists, leading-edge medicines and technology. Managed care, by design to save money, attempts to restrict these things."
The study of 13,000 managed care patients with hypertension, arthritis, ulcers, depression, and anxiety disorders showed that, while women over 50 were only "slightly" more likely to receive drugs from formularies, they used more total prescriptions and paid an average of $100 more for them than men.
Marshall says strict formularies were linked to more trips to the doctor, the hospital, the emergency department, and the pharmacist.
Don White, spokesman for the American Association of Health Plans in Washington, DC, said health plans are taking steps to address the special needs of older patients. He says some plans are allowing patients to see doctors outside the plan network or to get brand name drugs at a higher price instead of generics.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content