Prescription asthma medication expenditures: are there social disparities?

This study estimates the national averages for total, out-of-pocket, and out-of-pocket proportion of total expenditures on prescription asthma medications by adult asthmatic patients using 2000 MEPS data. Additionally, using these estimates disparities were identified among age, race/ethnicity, and poverty level groups.

The use of a two part empirical model to evaluate those expenditures was employed in conjunction with the Anderson Behavioral Theoretical Model. The significance of several predisposing, need, and enabling factors in predicting the likelihood and level of expenditures indicate that disparities exist among prescription asthma expenditures.

Specifically, differences exist in the out-of-pocket and total spending between the elderly and non-elderly on prescription asthma medications. Additionally, differences exist in the out-of-pocket and out-of-pocket proportion of total expenditures between blacks and whites.