Please read Dr. Miles’ article in Drug and Alcohol Dependence titled, “Racial/ethnic disparities in timely receipt of buprenorphine among Medicare disability beneficiaries.“
Medicare is a national public insurance program covering approximately 65 million adults in the United States. Medicare covers older adults ≥65 years of age and adults younger than 65 who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments due to a documented, long-term disability. Compared to older adults, Medicare disability beneficiaries (MDBs) tend to have lower household incomes, greater representation of minoritized racial/ethnic groups, and report greater difficulty accessing medical services. Medicaid is a state-administered public insurance program with eligibility criteria primarily based on income. Approximately one in five Medicare beneficiaries are dually enrolled in Medicaid, which provides low-income Medicare beneficiaries with cost-sharing assistance, but Medicare is the primary payer for prescription drugs among dual enrollees). To read the full article.
Racial/ethnic disparities in timely receipt of buprenorphine among Medicare disability beneficiaries. Miles J, Treitler P, Hermida R, Nyaku AN, Simon K, Gupta S, Crystal S, Samples H. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2023 Nov 1;252:110963. PMID: 37748421 PMCID: PMC10615876DOI: 1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110963