by Elana Gotkine

Expanding eligibility for full low-income subsidies (LIS) to include those with incomes between 135% and 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) is associated with a reduction in cost-related medication nonadherence in Medicare beneficiaries with cardiovascular disease or major cardiovascular risk factors. The research waspublishedonline March 24 in theJACCto coincide with the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held from March 28 to 30 in New Orleans.

Lucas X. Marinacci, M.D., from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues usedNational Health Interview Surveydata from 2021 to 2024 to examine the impact of expanding full LIS eligibility among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with one or more cardiovascular risk factors or conditions who reported taking one or more prescription medications in the past year. Medicare beneficiaries who became newly eligible under theInflation Reduction Act(IRA; intervention group), which took effect in January 2024, were compared to beneficiaries with incomes ≤135% FPL already eligible for full subsidies (control group).

The study population included 28,010 Medicare beneficiaries with cardiovascular risk factors and conditions. The researchers found that compared with controls, there was a 5.5 percentage point reduction in cost-related medication nonadherence among Medicare beneficiaries who became newly eligible for full LIS after implementation of the 2024 IRA reforms. Findings were similar in direction and magnitude in analyses excluding beneficiaries with diabetes, although estimates were no longer statistically significant.

"Cardiology providers should continue asking Medicare patients about cost barriers and connecting them to financial counselors who can help them understand their drug coverage and take advantage of these reforms," Marinacci said in a statement.

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More information Lucas X. Marinacci et al, Medication Adherence Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Cardiovascular Conditions After the 2024 Inflation Reduction Act Provisions, JACC (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2025.12.083 More Information