b'Health Insurance As part of our protocol, a doctor of internal medicine One way that we protect our health is by going to thewho is part of the HRS, doctor regularly and getting treatment when we need it.conducts a confidential review Health insurance helps us get the care we need. HRS obtainsof results that are outside of information about health care and health insurance not onlythe normal range to let you by asking questions but also by linking to information fromknow so you can discuss them Medicare and Medicaid about the care we receive. This helpswith your care provider. us understand more about how having health insurance and getting health care affects our health and what it costs including how much people have to pay on their own. We can also learn a lot about what happens if we need long-term care and how to pay for it.Middle Age HealthEarly research with HRS showed that not having health insurance was associated with worse health in late middle age. For those without health insurance, getting Medicare is associated with improvements in self-reported health, especially for those with cardiovascular disease or diabetes before age 65, and increases in preventive health care like cholesterol screening.20,21,22Researchers have used information from HRS to develop tools for doctors to use to screen for geriatric conditions and to do cognitive evaluations.23Medicare Part DBeginning in 2006, Medicare Part D began providing prescription medication coverage for enrollees. The cost of medications can be a major barrier to following a doctors prescription. With information on these cost barriers both before and after 2006, research shows that the percent of people not taking prescribed medicines because of cost decreased by 7 percent.24Enrollment in Part D was associated with a7%decrease 5%increasein not taking medicationsin good or better healthbecause of costSource: Diebold, The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2018Annual Wellness VisitThe Medicare Annual Wellness Visit aims to help doctors and their patients expand primary care visits to include a focus on preventive health screenings and wellness goals. Using HRS information linked to Medicare, research shows that the Annual Wellness Visit is not reaching many older U.S. adults, especially minority adults and those with lower incomes. Including social causes of health will likely further improve the value of the Annual Wellness Visit.2512'