Prescription Drugs - Research and Data from KFF

Paying for Prescribed Drugs in Medicaid: Current Policy and Upcoming Changes

May 23, 2014

Issue Brief

The federal government has proposed new rules that aim to make Medicaid outpatient drug reimbursement policies more closely match the cost of obtaining and filling prescriptions. However, the change in policy may have varying effects on reimbursement, depending on the state’s current approach and the type of drug in question. This paper explains current Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement methodology and examines the potential effect of the proposed rule changes.

Family Health Premiums Rise 4 Percent to Average of $15,745 in 2012, National Benchmark Employer Survey Finds

Sep 11, 2012

News Release

Menlo Park, Calif. – Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached $15,745 this year, up 4 percent from last year, with workers on average paying $4,316 toward the cost of their coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) 2012 Employer Health Benefits Survey released today. This year’s premium increase is moderate by historical standards, but outpaced the growth in workers’ wages (1.7 percent) and general inflation (2.3 percent). Since…

Medicare Drug Plan Enrollees Would Face Average 13 Percent Premium Increase Unless They Switch Plans During Open Enrollment, New Analysis Finds

Oct 13, 2015

News Release

Second Analysis Finds Modest Shifts in Medicare Advantage Plan Options When Medicare's 2016 open enrollment begins Oct. 15, current enrollees in stand-alone Medicare Part D plans are projected to face an average 13 percent increase in premiums if they remain in their current plan for 2016, a new analysis finds. Medicare Part D: A First Look at Plan Offerings in 2016 finds that for the coming year, the average beneficiary will have a choice of…

Prescription Drug Costs Remain Atop the Public’s National Health Care Agenda, Well Ahead of Affordable Care Act Revisions and Repeal

Oct 28, 2015

News Release

28% of Public Report Asking Doctor about a Drug They Saw Advertised, and 12% Say Their Doctor Prescribed It Few Workers Expect Raises if Employers Reduce Health Benefits to Avoid Cadillac Tax as Many Economists Predict With some presidential candidates laying out details of their health care platforms, the cost of prescription drugs remains at the top of the public's health care priority list for the President and Congress, the October Kaiser Health Tracking Poll…

Poll Finds Nearly Three Quarters of Americans Say Prescription Drug Costs Are Unreasonable, and Most Blame Drug Makers Rather Than Insurers for the Problem

Jun 16, 2015

News Release

If Supreme Court's King v. Burwell Decision Restricts Insurance Subsidies to Certain States, Most Say Congress Should Act to Ensure Residents of All States are Eligible, and a Majority in Potentially Affected States say Their State Should Act Public's Views on Affordable Care Act Are Divided and Unchanged: 42% Unfavorable and 39% Favorable Nearly three quarters (73%) of the public view prescription drug costs as unreasonable, and far more blame pharmaceutical companies more than insurers…

States are Shifting How They Cover Prescription Drugs in Response to COVID-19

Apr 30, 2020

Policy Watch

Medicaid beneficiaries, particularly those with chronic conditions, will need access to medications even during social distancing and their ability to meet with providers to obtain refills may be hindered. States are updating policies to allow beneficiaries to access medications during this public health emergency.

How Will The Medicare Part D Benefit Change Under Current Law and Leading Proposals?

Oct 11, 2019

Issue Brief

This brief describes how the Medicare Part D benefit will change in 2020 under current law and proposed changes that would affect what beneficiaries, plans, manufacturers, and Medicare pay for drug costs under Part D in the future.

Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Who Reach the Catastrophic Coverage Limit Can Expect to Pay More Out-of-Pocket for Their Prescription Drugs Next Year

Oct 11, 2019

News Release

Medicare Part D enrollees with relatively high out-of-pocket expenses can expect see their costs rise in 2020, according to a new KFF analysis. This is mainly due to an increase in how much enrollees will pay out of pocket for their prescription drugs in the Part D benefit coverage gap phase before they qualify for catastrophic coverage. The analysis finds that out-of-pocket drug costs will increase by nearly $400 -- from $2,275 in 2019 to…

List Prices Increased As Much As 9 Times Faster Than Inflation for 20 of the Top 25 Part D Drugs, Suggesting Potential for Savings Under Proposed Inflation Rebate Policies

Oct 18, 2019

News Release

A new KFF analysis finds that the list prices for most of the top Medicare Part D drugs by total spending increased as much as nine times the rate of inflation (1.7%) between 2016 and 2017, suggesting recent Congressional proposals targeting such increases could generate savings for Medicare and Part D enrollees. The analysis finds 20 of the top 25 drugs, all of which were brand-name medications, had price increases between three and more than…

State Medicaid Management of Prescription Drugs for HIV Treatment and Prevention

Jun 4, 2020

Issue Brief

This data note, primarily based on a survey of state Medicaid pharmacies, reviews cost-containment policies and protections as they relate to antiretrovirals for treatment and prevention of HIV.

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