Medicare Part D - Research and Data from KFF

Gross Medicare Spending on Ozempic and Other GLP-1s Is Already Skyrocketing – Even Though Medicare Cannot Cover The Drugs for Weight Loss

Mar 23, 2024

News Release

A KFF analysis shows that gross total Medicare spending on Ozempic and other similar drugs has increased dramatically in recent years – even though Medicare is explicitly prohibited by law from covering the drugs for obesity. That’s because Medicare now covers the drugs, known as GLP-1s, for other medically accepted indications, including to treat diabetes. This week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) informed Medicare drug plans that they can cover Wegovy, another…

A Small Number of Drugs Account for a Large Share of Medicare Part D Spending

Jul 12, 2023

Issue Brief

The Inflation Reduction Act requires the federal government to negotiate the price of certain high-spending drugs covered by Medicare. This analysis provides context for understanding the potential impact of negotiating prices for a limited number of Medicare-covered drugs by identifying the 10 top-selling Part D drugs in 2021, measuring the share of total Part D drug spending accounted for by top-selling drugs that year, and examining changes in spending and use of these drugs since…

Workforce Reductions at Social Security Could Affect Medicare and Medicaid Coverage

Mar 3, 2025

Quick Insights

How these new workforce reductions at the Social Security Administration will affect people is unknown but could make it harder for people to get connected to benefits they might qualify for…which would in turn affect access to health insurance coverage through Medicare and Medicaid.

The Trump Administration is Reducing Enhanced Support for the Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plan Market

Jul 28, 2025

Quick Insights

In announcing these changes, CMS states that it is “facilitating the Part D program’s return to operating under regular market conditions.” Increasingly, however, these regular conditions appear unfavorable to the ongoing stability of the stand-alone prescription drug plan market, further tilting the playing field towards Medicare Advantage.

Nearly Four Million Medicare Beneficiaries Met the Eligibility Criteria in 2023 for the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge

Jun 29, 2026

Issue Brief

Medicare has launched a temporary program covering GLP-1s for obesity for people with Medicare, known as the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. This analysis estimates the number of Medicare Part D enrollees who could potentially qualify for the Bridge program by meeting all of the eligibility criteria, based on claims data from 2023.

Savings for Medicare Beneficiaries from the Use of Prescription Drug Discount Cards

Mar 31, 2004

Report

This article, published online by Health Affairs on April 14, 2004, estimates the extent to which prescription drug discount cards could affect out-of-pocket spending by Medicare beneficiaries who lack drug coverage, based on an analysis of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. The Medicare discount card program is scheduled to go into effect in June of 2004. Health Affairs Article

March/April 2004 Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey – Selected Findings on the Knowledge and Understanding of the New Medicare Rx Drug Program (Toplines)

Mar 31, 2004

Poll Finding

Toplines of selected findings of the March/April 2004 Kaiser Family Foundation Health Poll Report survey that underscores the need to educate seniors about the new Medicare prescription drug program. Survey Toplines (.pdf)

Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Benefit: The Voices of People Dually Covered by Medicare and Medicaid – Report

Jan 1, 2005

Report

Medicare's New Prescription Drug Benefit: The Voices of People Dually Covered by Medicare and Medicaid This focus group report highlights the kinds of questions, uncertainties, and reactions that dual eligibles have when asked about the impending changes in their drug coverage. Report (.pdf)

The Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card Program: Implications for Low-income Medicare Beneficiaries

Apr 1, 2004

Issue Brief

- Issue Paper This Issue Paper describes the discount card and low-income assistance programs and discusses their implications for low-income Medicare beneficiaries and state Medicaid programs. Issue Paper (.pdf)

Views of the New Medicare Drug Law – Toplines

Jul 31, 2004

Poll Finding

This document includes the toplines from a comprehensive survey of people on Medicare and their attitudes toward the new Medicare drug law. The survey provides detailed insight in their perceptions and opinions about the law, the Medicare-approved drug-discount card program and the new Medicare drug benefit set to begin in January 2006. It also assesses views on the law’s implications for the 2004 elections. Survey Toplines (.pdf)

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