Medical marijuana saved Medicare $165 million in states with medical cannabis
Last edited Sun Jul 10, 2016, 09:23 PM - Edit history (1)
Seniors with Medical Marijuana Access Use Fewer Prescription Drugs
Medicare saved $165 million in states with medical cannabis, study says
(Reuters Health) - Physicians wrote significantly fewer prescriptions for painkillers and other medications for elderly and disabled patients who had legal access to medical marijuana, a new study finds.
In fact, Medicare saved more than $165 million in 2013 on prescription drugs in the District of Columbia and 17 states that allowed cannabis to be used as medicine, researchers calculated. If every state in the nation legalized medical marijuana, the study forecast that the federal program would save more than $468 million a year on pharmaceuticals for disabled Americans and those 65 and older.
No health insurance, including Medicare, will reimburse for the cost of marijuana. Although medical cannabis is legal today in 25 states and the District of Columbia, federal law continues to prohibit its prescription in all circumstances.
Here in NM, medical marijuana sales are skyrocketing. The number of medical marijuana patients tripled since last year - now close to 60,000. Because of record numbers of applications, the Health Dept recently added two doctors to staff because they are so far behind in processing.