One in Five U.S. Adults Ask Doctor for Lower Cost Medication

(Bloomberg) -- Over one third of U.S. adults aged 18-64, without health insurance, did not take their prescription medication as prescribed in the past 12 months in order to reduce costs, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among, all adults, including those with insurance, on Medicaid and the uninsured, about one in five asked their doctor for alternative medication to lower the cost.

In 2017, among the uninsured, strategies for reducing prescription drug costs included:

• 39.5% asked their doctor for a lower-cost medication
• 33.6% did not take their medication as prescribed
• 13.9% used alternative therapies.

In 2017, nearly 60% of U.S. adults aged 18–64 reported being prescribed medication in the past 12 months.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Tanzi in Washington at atanzi@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Tanzi at atanzi@bloomberg.net, Chris Middleton

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