Amid heightened public concern, the cost of prescription drugs is a focus of attention by the Biden administration and lawmakers in Congress and state capitals. Proposed actions range from allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of certain drugs to limiting some drug price increases to inflation and capping out of pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries in Part D, among other initiatives. 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
Explaining the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Build Back Better Act
The Build Back Better Act includes several provisions that would lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and private insurance and reduce drug spending by the federal government and private payers. This brief summarizes these provisions and discusses the expected effects on people, program spending, and drug prices and innovation.
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Related Prescription Drugs Resources
- Dec. 8 Event: Unpacking the Prescription Drug Provisions of the Build Back Better Act
- What Are the Key Prescription Drug Provisions in the Build Back Better Act?
- The Public Weighs In On Medicare Drug Negotiations
- Potential Savings for Medicare Part D Enrollees Under Proposals to Add a Hard Cap on Out-of-Pocket Spending
- Relatively Few Drugs Account for a Large Share of Medicare Prescription Drug Spending
- FDA’s Approval of Biogen’s New Alzheimer’s Drug Has Huge Cost Implications for Medicare and Beneficiaries
- 10 FAQs on Prescription Drug Importation
- Insulin Costs and Coverage in Medicare Part D
- Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drug Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- An Overview of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit
- Prescription Drug Rebates, Explained
- Who is most likely to have high prescription drug costs?
- Latest News on Prescription Drugs from Kaiser Health News
Public Opinion on Prescription Drugs and Their Prices
This charticle draws on recent KFF poll findings to provide an in-depth look at the public’s attitudes toward prescription drugs and their prices. Results include Americans’ opinions on drug affordability, pharmaceutical companies, and various potential measures that could lower prices.
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Why Medicare’s Aduhelm Coverage Decision Could Increase Pressure on Officials to Roll Back the Record Part B Premium Increase for 2022
In a new Policy Watch, KFF experts explain why Medicare’s preliminary decision to cover a new Alzheimer’s drug only for a limited group of beneficiaries is likely to intensify pressure on officials to reconsider the increase in the Medicare Part B premium for 2022. Earlier this week, CMS issued a…
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Medicare’s Coverage Decision for the New Alzheimer’s Drug and Why It Matters
This policy watch discusses the implications of Medicare’s preliminary National Coverage Determination for the new Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, on the 2022 Medicare Part B premium and the possibility of an adjustment based on the coverage decision. The piece also discusses the implications for Medicare spending and the connection to ongoing policy discussions around prescription drug proposals in the Build Back Better Act.
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Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs
This brief summarizes KFF’s most recent polling on the public’s experiences and challenges with health care costs, and it highlights the consequences of high health care costs on the uninsured and those with lower incomes.
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Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drug Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This data note describes Medicaid prescription drug utilization and spending trends in calendar year 2020 compared to previous years to explore how the pandemic impacted Medicaid prescription drug utilization and spending.
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Dec. 8 Event: Unpacking the Prescription Drug Provisions of the Build Back Better Act
As the Build Back Better Act shifts from the House to the Senate, there’s considerable interest in provisions that would lower the cost of prescription drugs. The House-passed bill would allow the federal government to negotiate prices for some high-cost drugs in Medicare, and set a hard cap on out-of-pocket…
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Summary of Costs and Impact of the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Build Back Better Act
As the House-passed Build Back Better Act moves to the Senate, a new explainer from KFF summarizes the key prescription drug provisions within the broader budget reconciliation bill. These provisions would lower prescription drug costs paid by people with Medicare and private insurance and curb drug spending by the federal…
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Potential Costs and Impact of Health Provisions in the Build Back Better Act
A summary of 10 of the major health coverage and financing provisions of the current Build Back Better Act, with discussion of the potential implications for people and the federal budget.
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Explaining the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Build Back Better Act
The Build Back Better Act includes several provisions that would lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and private insurance and reduce drug spending by the federal government and private payers. This brief summarizes these provisions and discusses the expected effects on people, program spending, and drug prices and innovation.
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Employer Health Benefits Annual Survey Archives
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust have conducted this annual survey since 1999. The archives of the Employer Health Benefits Survey include these surveys and a small business supplement of the 1998 survey conducted by the Foundation. The survey was previously conducted by KPMG from…
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