Preferred Pharmacy Networks and Drug Costs
研究发现，拥有优选药房网络的Medicare D部分计划支付更低的零售药价，但受补贴参保者对优选药房费用分摊折扣不敏感，削弱了节省效果；平均而言，参保者因自付费用降低而受益。
Selective contracting is an increasingly popular tool for reducing health care costs, but any savings must be weighed against consumer surplus losses from restricted access. Recently, many prescription drug plans (PDPs) utilize preferred pharmacy networks to reduce drug prices. Our results suggest that Medicare Part D plans with preferred pharmacy networks pay lower retail drug prices, while subsidized enrollees’ insensitivity to preferred pharmacy cost-sharing discounts reduces these savings. We then estimate pharmacy demand models to quantify the costs and benefits of preferred pharmacy networks, finding that the average enrollee benefits from preferred pharmacy contracting due to reduced out-of-pocket (OOP) costs at preferred pharmacies.