Medicare Part D Data Spotlight: A First Look at Part D Plan Offerings in 2012

This data spotlight examines the stand-alone Part D drug plan options available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2012. Medicare beneficiaries will, on average, be able to choose from 31 stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to choose from, a new Kaiser analysis finds. Average premiums would increase by 4 percent from 2011 to 2012 if beneficiaries remain with their current plans during the open enrollment period, which begins October 15 and December 31. That represents the lowest projected increase since the program began in 2006.

The analysis is the first in a series of planned reports examining the private plan choices available to Medicare beneficiaries. The analysis was conducted jointly by Jack Hoadley and Laura Summer of Georgetown University, Juliette Cubanski and Jennifer Huang of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Elizabeth Hargrave of NORC at the University of Chicago.

A related fact sheet summarizes the plan options available by state.

Data Spotlight (.pdf)