Medicare

A relatively small share of drugs, mainly those without generic or biosimilar competitors, accounted for a disproportionate share of prescription drug spending in Medicare in 2019. This finding suggests that recent proposals that focus on prices for a limited number of high-cost drugs could achieve significant savings. The findings inform ongoing policy debates about policies to rein in prescription drug prices, such as proposals to allow the government to negotiate drug prices (Part D) or peg payments to international prices (Part B), if such changes were applied to a limited number of drugs.

Twenty-two states and D.C. have vaccinated at least one-third of their residents who are 65 and older against COVID-19 as of February 23, our updated analysis finds. No state has crossed the threshold of vaccinating 50% or more of its older population. The share of adults 65 and older who have received at least one dose of a vaccine ranges from 49% in North Carolina to 27% in Pennsylvania. Moreover, between February 4 and February 23, vaccination rates among older adults have increased across each state that reported consistently at both points in time, with increases ranging from 10 to 22 percentage points.

Fifty-seven percent of Medicare beneficiaries do not review or compare their coverage options annually – a decision that can lead to unanticipated costs or coverage disruptions as beneficiaries pick Part D stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare’s annual open enrollment period runs from October 15 through December 7.