Amid heightened public concern, the cost of prescription drugs is the focus of renewed attention by the Trump administration and lawmakers in Congress and state capitals. Proposed actions range from sweeping health care system changes to targeted initiatives that could affect Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. See KFF’s research, analysis and public opinion data, as well as Kaiser Health News’ journalism, related to prescription drugs and their costs.
Featured Prescription Drugs Resources
KFF Health Tracking Poll – October 2019: Health Care In The Democratic Debates, Congress, And The Courts
This poll examines health care issues in the Democratic presidential primary , government negotiation of prescription drug prices, party trust on health care, Medicare-for-all, and the pending Texas v. US lawsuit affecting the Affordable Care Act and pre-existing condition protections.
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Related Prescription Drugs Resources
- Understanding the Medicaid Prescription Drug Rebate Program
- A Look at Recent Proposals to Control Drug Spending by Medicare and its Beneficiaries
- Kaiser Health News Coverage of Prescription Drug Issues
- What are the recent and forecasted trends in prescription drug spending?
- What’s the Latest on Medicare Drug Price Negotiations?
- How Will The Medicare Part D Benefit Change Under Current Law and Leading Proposals?
- Medicaid’s Prescription Drug Benefit: Key Facts
- Public Opinion on Prescription Drugs and Their Prices
- Prescription Drug Rebates, Explained
- What Are Recent Trends and Characteristics of Workers with High Drug Spending?
- Snapshots of Recent State Initiatives in Medicaid Prescription Drug Cost Control
- 10 Essential Facts About Medicare and Prescription Drug Spending
- Utilization and Spending Trends in Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drugs
- How Does Prescription Drug Spending and Use Compare Across Large Employer Plans, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid?
Ten Charts on Proposals to Lower Medicare Prescription Drug Prices
This quick primer explains the similarities and differences among major Medicare prescription drug proposals introduced by House Democrats, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Trump Administration. Updated October 2019.
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A Small Share of People with Medicare Advantage or Stand-alone Medicare Part D Coverage Voluntarily Switch Plans During Open Enrollment
A new KFF analysis finds that a relatively small share of people with Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage voluntarily switch plans during Medicare’s open enrollment period, which runs annually from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. With less than a week remaining for beneficiaries to make…
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No Itch to Switch: Few Medicare Beneficiaries Switch Plans During the Open Enrollment Period
This analysis finds that a relatively small share of people with Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage voluntarily switch plans during Medicare’s open enrollment period, which runs annually from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Shopping around among plans is important, since plans can vary significantly and change from year to year, which can have a large impact on enrollees’ coverage and costs.
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A Look at Recent Proposals to Control Drug Spending by Medicare and its Beneficiaries
In response to higher drug spending growth and heightened attention to drug prices, policymakers have proposed a variety of policy initiatives to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Medicare. This brief examines in detail the range of proposals offered by the Trump Administration and members of Congress for lowering the cost of prescription drugs, their known effects on the federal budget, and their potential implications for beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
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Poll: On Health Care, Democrats and Democratic-Leaning Independents Trust Sen. Sanders the Most, but Significantly More People Support a Public Option than Medicare-for-All
3 in 4 Americans Do Not Expect Congress to Take Action to Lower Drug Costs Before the 2020 Election Ahead of tonight’s Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders is the candidate most trusted on health care by Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, though the Medicare-for-all plan he has championed is significantly…
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KFF Health Tracking Poll – November 2019: Health Care In The 2020 Election, Medicare-for-all, And The State Of The ACA
This poll examines the issues Democrats most want to hear in the debates, their trust of the Democratic candidates on health care, attitudes towards Medicare-for-all and a public option, perceptions of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces, and prospects of legislation to address prescription drug costs.
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Millions of Medicare Part D Enrollees Face Increases in Premiums and Other Costs in 2020 if They Do Not Switch Plans During Open Enrollment
Millions of current enrollees in stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans will face premium and other cost increases next year unless they switch to lower-cost plans during the open enrollment period that began Oct. 15 and ends on Dec. 7, a new KFF analysis finds. This includes two-thirds of…
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An Overview of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit
This fact sheet includes the latest information and data about the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, including current plan information, the standard benefit parameters, low-income assistance, the latest available enrollment data, and Part D program spending and financing.
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Understanding the Medicaid Prescription Drug Rebate Program
Drug prices are at the center of health policy debates at both the state and federal levels. . Policymakers are currently debating significant changes to payment for prescription drugs through Medicare and commercial insurers that may also have implications for Medicaid and the Medicaid Prescription Drug Rebate Program (MDRP). This brief explains the MDRP to help policymakers and others understand how Medicaid pays for drugs and any potential consequences of policy changes for the program.
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