Tariffs Are Driving up Premiums for Small Businesses
Some insurers in the ACA’s small group market are citing tariffs, particularly those affecting prescriptions drugs, as a reason for higher-than-expected premium increases.
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How Recent Manufacturer Savings Programs May Impact Individual Out-of-Pocket Spending on Asthma and COPD Inhalers
Issue BriefA new analysis shows that individuals with employer insurance could save 41% on their out-of-pocket spending for asthma and COPD inhalers through manufacturer savings. In response to a U.S. Senate investigation into inhaler costs, 3 drug makers voluntarily capped out-of-pocket costs on their brand-name asthma and COPD inhalers.
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How Much is Health Spending Expected to Grow?
FeatureThis chart collection explores how health spending is expected to grow in coming years, with a look at growth in prescription drug spending, out-of-pocket spending, and related trends.
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The Trump Administration is Reducing Enhanced Support for the Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plan Market
Quick TakeIn 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.
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Eliquis’s New Lower Direct-to-Consumer Price is Still Higher Than Medicare’s Negotiated Price
Quick TakeVoluntary efforts by drug companies to lower prices on selected medications, such as this new discounted price for Eliquis and previous price reductions on certain insulin products, could expand access to lower-priced drugs for some patients, but are not likely to improve prescription drug affordability in the U.S. on a widespread basis.
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Key Facts About Medicare Part D Enrollment, Premiums, and Cost Sharing in 2025
Issue BriefThe Medicare Part D program provides an outpatient prescription drug benefit to more than 50 million older adults and people with long-term disabilities in Medicare who enroll in private plans, including stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) to supplement traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PDs) that include drug coverage and other Medicare-covered benefits. This brief analyzes Medicare Part D enrollment and costs in 2025 and trends over time, based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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The Uncertain Future of Medicare’s Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan Market and Why It Matters
Issue BriefThis brief focuses on the stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan marketplace and its somewhat uncertain future, in light of recent trends in plan availability and the potential for another year of premium increases in 2026, in part depending on what the Trump administration decides to do with the temporary Part D premium stabilization demonstration. The brief explains why the stability of the PDP market matters, both for people in traditional Medicare who want prescription drug coverage but also for the viability of traditional Medicare as an option vis a vis Medicare Advantage.
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Tariffs Are Driving 2026 Health Insurance Premiums Up
Quick TakePresident Trump has vowed to impose tariffs on a wide variety of goods from multiple countries. While consumers may expect the price of some imported goods to go up, what may be surprising is that these tariffs are already driving health insurance premiums up.
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Will President Trump’s Executive Order Lower Drug Prices?
Quick TakeUltimately, assessing the impact of President Trump’s newest iteration of “Most Favored Nation” drug pricing depends on details that have yet to be fleshed out.
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Stand-Alone Drug Plans Cover a Larger Share of Medicare Part D Enrollees Living in the Most Rural Areas Than Medicare Advantage Plans
Issue BriefTo understand the role of Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans in serving rural Medicare beneficiaries, this data note analyzes 2025 Part D enrollment in PDPs and Medicare Advantage drug plans by geographic area nationally and at the state level.