Many on Medicaid Lack Drugs, Study Says The study was based on a survey of 39,000 adults, including nearly 1,800 on Medicaid. By most measures, it said, Medicaid recipients and people with private insurance have similar access to medical care. But, it said, prescription drugs appear to be an exception; some Medicaid recipients have almost as much difficulty as the uninsured in obtaining medications. Twenty-six percent of Medicaid beneficiaries ages 18 to 64 reported that they could not afford to get all their prescriptions filled in the last year, the report said. That was just slightly less than the 29 percent of uninsured people who reported similar difficulty. By contrast, 8 percent of people with employer-sponsored health coverage and 8 percent of elderly people with Medicare said costs prevented them from obtaining medicines. (Medicare generally does not cover prescription drugs outside the hospital, but about two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries have drug coverage from other sources.) Len M. Nichols, vice president of the Center for Studying Health System Change, said, "The findings are surprising because Medicaid is expected to ensure access to affordable care for the poorest and sickest Americans." http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/09/health/09DRUG.html?todaysheadlines&pagewanted=all