Nationwide Survey of Seniors Shows High Approval Ratings for Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage; Beneficiaries Say Their Part D Plans Are Affordable, Provide Good Value

WASHINGTON – Nearly nine of every 10 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D prescription drug plans say they are satisfied with their medication coverage with large majorities saying that their costs for both generic and name-brand drugs are affordable, according to a survey conducted by Morning Consult and released by the Medicare Today coalition.The survey of 1,000 Part D-enrolled seniors conducted in late June showed 87 percent expressing satisfaction with their prescription drug coverage, 44 percent saying they were very satisfied.  Also, 92 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with their Medicare health coverage overall.Medicare Today chair and Healthcare Leadership Council president Mary R. Grealy said these high approval numbers have been consistent since polling on Medicare Part D satisfaction began shortly after the program’s inception and should be taken into consideration by policymakers.“There may not be a government program more popular than the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.  Perennially, polling shows approval ratings near or above 90 percent, which indicates how important this benefit is to seniors, people with disabilities, and their loved ones who care about their health,” she said. “As we hear rumblings on Capitol Hill from those wanting to make significant structural changes to this program, it should not go unnoticed that beneficiaries greatly value this program’s affordability and the access it provides to the medicines they need.”Key findings from the Morning Consult survey include:

• 84 percent say their Part D monthly premiums are affordable.
• 76 percent say their total out-of-pocket costs are reasonable.
• 75 percent say their Part D plan covers all the medicines their doctor prescribes.
• 85 percent say the consider their Part D plan to be a good value.
• 83 percent say it is important to them to have a choice of competing Part D plans.

More findings from the survey can be found here.