How Medicare drug-payment rules changed hospice medication access and costs
Impact of New Hospice Drug Policies on Expenditures, Utilization, Prescribing Quality, and Access
This project looks at whether 2014 changes to Medicare drug payment rules affected hospice medication costs, which drugs were used, prescribing quality, and access for people on hospice.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194367 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers will use national Medicare and Part D records to compare what happened before and after the 2014 policy changes that shifted drug costs onto hospice providers. They will study overall drug spending and use patterns across hospices and identify which patients or programs still had high Part D costs after the change. The team will link hospice drug records with Part D claims to capture complete medication use and measure prescribing quality and access indicators. This is a retrospective, nationwide analysis of existing Medicare data rather than a trial where people enroll in the study.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is most relevant to Medicare beneficiaries (generally age 65+) who use hospice services and their caregivers or advocates.
Not a fit: People not covered by Medicare (for example, non-Medicare insurance or hospice outside the U.S.) or those younger than Medicare eligibility may not see direct benefits from this specific analysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help policymakers and hospice programs protect access to needed medicines and improve prescribing for people receiving hospice care.
How similar studies have performed: Claims-based and interrupted time series studies have previously tracked effects of Medicare policy changes, but the specific impact on hospice medication quality and access is still not well described.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tjia, Jennifer — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Tjia, Jennifer
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.