BC43 Inter-amer 30

     
BW20021030002296  20021030T150313Z UTC


( BW)(ELI-LILLY-&-CO)(BC43) Eli Lilly and Company: Results Show
Earlier Care Could Reduce Health Care Costs for North Carolina
Seniors; Study Raises Questions -- Lilly Provides Answers

    Business Editors
    UK REGULATORY NEWS

    HIGH POINT, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2002--

A recent study shows, due to a lack of prescription drug coverage,
older Americans may be delaying treatment for common conditions such
as depression, diabetes and osteoporosis until they require
hospitalization. Low-cost prescription drug programs could help them
avoid this expensive step and improve their quality of life. In
response, Eli Lilly and Company joined forces today with local
organizations to host free health care screenings and provide
information about low-cost prescription drug options for local senior
citizens at the Roy Culler Senior Center in High Point.

The Arthritis Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company, Family Alternatives,
Inc., Health Challenge, Inc., Mental Health Association in North
Carolina, National Association of Social Workers - North Carolina
Chapter and Roy Culler Senior Center sponsored the health screenings
event to encourage seniors to seek early diagnosis and treatment of
their conditions. Lilly representatives were also on hand to pass out
information and answer questions about LillyAnswers. The LillyAnswers
program, which was announced in April, offers eligible low-income
seniors access to most drugs manufactured by the company for a flat
fee of $12 a month per prescription. To date, more than 4,200 North
Carolinians have signed up for the program. Lilly is working to reach
out to thousands more who may be eligible but are not enrolled in this
money-saving program.

"While Congress is working out the details for providing all seniors
with prescription drug coverage, we wanted to help the seniors, who
are most in need, access the medications that treat some of the most
common and serious ailments of aging," said Gino Santini, president of
Lilly's U.S. operations. "As this study shows, the costs of delaying
treatment - in dollars and human suffering - are significant. We want
to make sure that the citizens of North Carolina are aware of
prescription drug programs such as LillyAnswers and we hope they will
take advantage of the free screenings being offered today at the Roy
Culler Senior Center in High Point, N.C. "

The study by Florida State University's director of the Center for
Economic Forecasting and Analysis, Dr. Tim Lynch, was sponsored by
Lilly to assess whether seniors were delaying medical treatment
because they lack prescription drug coverage, and if so, at what cost?

The study looked at Medicare costs in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina and Texas resulting from hospital stays for
the treatment of depression, diabetes and osteoporosis. It found that
more than 45,000 Medicare recipients were hospitalized an average of
8.2 days for the treatment of these illnesses at a cost of nearly $298
million. At an average cost of $15,930 per hospital stay, this method
of treatment costs up to 100 times more than it would cost to treat
these illnesses with medication.

"Too many seniors are putting off treatment until their conditions are
so serious they require hospitalization," said Dr. Lynch. "Low-income
seniors are particularly hard hit because most don't have drug
coverage or the resources to pay for the medications they need."

Lynch estimates that $103 million in hospital costs could have been
saved if patients were treated in primary care settings with
appropriate medications. Nationally that could translate into more
than a half billion in savings for these three diseases alone. In
North Carolina, Medicare spending for 5,998 seniors was $36.3 million,
of which an estimated $11.7 million could have been returned to
taxpayers or spent on other state priorities.

Among the findings:

-- Depression -- 2001 Medicare payments for acute care hospital
treatment for the 13,510 seniors studied totaled $90 million. Since 70
percent of depressed patients respond to medication therapy, the
potential Medicare savings with drug therapy would be $49.5 million.
In North Carolina, Medicare spending for 1,469 seniors studied totaled
$8.8 million, for potential savings of $4.7 million.

-- Diabetes -- Medicare payments for diabetes for the more than 30,000
seniors included in the study totaled $197 million. Assuming only half
of these hospitalizations could be prevented with early detection,
intervention and treatment with prescription drugs, potential annual
savings would be $49.2 million. In North Carolina, Medicare spending
for 4,318 seniors with diabetes totaled $25.9 million, for potential
savings of $6.4 million.

-- Osteoporosis -- Medicare payments for osteoporosis for the 1,386
seniors included in the study totaled $11.3 million. If the 767 cases
categorized as "minor" or " moderate" had been treated early with
effective prescription medication, Medicare could have saved $4.1
million. In North Carolina, Medicare spending for 261 seniors was
$1.95 million, of which an estimated $.7 million could have been
saved.

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a
growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying
the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from
collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in
Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers - through medicines and
information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs.
Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.

   Short Name: Lilly (Eli) & Co
   Category Code: MSC
   Sequence Number: 00001098
   Time of Receipt (offset from UTC): 20021030T112712+0000

    --30--djl/cl* sm/uk

    CONTACT: Eli Lilly and Company
             Tarra Ryker, 919/819-8968

    KEYWORD: INDIANA UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
    INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT
    SOURCE: Eli Lilly and Company

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