Heart attack patients who got free medications had lower rates of rehospitalization for heart attack or heart failure compared to patients who had prescription co-pays, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011.
Despite those improvements, patients with free medications did not experience a lower reduction in the rate of revascularization to reopen clogged arteries. For their study, researchers analyzed 5,855 heart attack patients, 2,845 of whom paid nothing for their cholesterol-lowering drugs and other medications.
Their study also showed these patients were 4-6 percent more likely to take them than the 3,010 who had co-pays. Furthermore, patients saved 26 percent on their overall out-of-pocket healthcare costs due to savings from fewer copayments for physicians' visits and no co-pays.
Despite those improvements, patients with free medications did not experience a lower reduction in the rate of revascularization to reopen clogged arteries. For their study, researchers analyzed 5,855 heart attack patients, 2,845 of whom paid nothing for their cholesterol-lowering drugs and other medications.
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Their study also showed these patients were 4-6 percent more likely to take them than the 3,010 who had co-pays. Furthermore, patients saved 26 percent on their overall out-of-pocket healthcare costs due to savings from fewer copayments for physicians' visits and no co-pays.
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