Medicaid coverage was expanded for childless adults in Wisconsin through an amended Section 1115 demonstration waiver on April 1, 2014. Coverage for prescription drugs was expanded via copayment reductions and a drug formulary expansion. We analyzed administrative drug claims data to evaluate changes in the use of and out-of-pocket spending on antidiabetic drugs among childless adults who experienced the drug coverage expansion. Compared to parents or caretakers, who were not affected by the expansion, childless adults experienced a significant increase of 4 percent in the use of antidiabetic drugs-driven mainly by an increase in the population using the drugs, rather than by more intense use. The expanded drug coverage also reduced the burden of out-of-pocket spending for childless adults by 70 percent. Our findings demonstrate that expanding prescription drug benefits led to increased access to antidiabetic drugs for childless adults in Wisconsin Medicaid.
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