Newswise — For nearly a decade, Dr. Stacie Dusetzina, professor of health policy and Ingram professor of cancer research, has identified one major policy issue that concerns lawmakers of all parties: the affordability of prescription drugs. We have focused our research on price.
After reading an article ten years ago about rising drug prices and their impact on patients, Dusetzina used her training to explain why drugs are so expensive and how they affect patients who need them. began to elucidate what gave the
After more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, and countless conversations with two White House administrations and dozens of policymakers on Capitol Hill, Dusetzina and colleagues recently published research and papers on the White House South Loan. I was able to think about how their contributions through data conveyed information. A provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that could save older Americans tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs each year when using Medicare.
“The idea that some of my work could make a difference and be better at fixing a program that I really care about – it’s something special,” says Dusetzina. “Right now, there are nearly 50 million people in Medicare Part D. Not everyone needs expensive medicines right now, but if they do, they will buy them. You’ll have the financial security of knowing you can afford it.”
Dussetina is one of hundreds of policy researchers and other experts on drug policy and reform who have commended their long efforts to ease the economic burden of millions of Americans. Her colleagues are some of the most influential researchers among them.
“Stacey is one of our nation’s leading scientists studying drug pricing and access to expensive medicines,” said Nancy Keating, M.D., professor of health policy and internist at Harvard University. Dr. MPH said. D-research. “The evidence she produced relating to the role of large copayments in non-adherence and failure to initiate medication is key to recent legislation seeking to spotlight the issue of Part D benefits and to formulate prescriptions. Resulting in more affordable drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.”
Last year, Dusetzina found that 30% of unsubsidized cancer patients did not start cancer treatment with prescription drugs. She pays for her treatment for a year out-of-pocket, and in some cases, her first treatment costs more than $3,000.
So what’s next? Since the law was formally signed into law in September, Dusetzina has continued to analyze the long-term impact of the anti-inflation law and how Medicare will spend on prescription drugs from his 2008 to 2019 paid service bills. We estimated how much it cost and how it was done. New laws will affect that spending.
But it’s not accurate to think that Dusetzina will completely shift her research focus away from Medicare.
“I think we have fixed most of Part D, but we have found that there are still many issues to be resolved regarding drug pricing and access,” Dusetzina said. “I’ve written several articles that focus more broadly on Medicare plan selection and how to ensure that people choose the right plan and how to give people better information about drug prices at the time of prescribing. I am working on a new project.
“I will also be very interested in how these changes play out in the Medicare program and how drug companies respond with pricing of new drugs. To solve the price, we need to fix the price and the coverage.There are a lot of things that keep me busy.”
