New Medicaid Drug Use and Cost Data Highlight Issues for States After Medicare Part D.

This issue brief highlights a number of Medicaid prescription drug issues that remain for states after the movement of dual eligibles into the Medicare Part D drug benefit. The brief describes new data, prepared by Mathematica and available on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website, that provide detailed information on prescription drug cost and utilization for both nondual and dual eligible Medicaid beneficiaries for 2001 and 2002. The brief also notes that states can use this information as a starting point to highlight ways in which they may differ from other states or national averages, triggering more careful and thorough analysis.