Medicaid Prescription Drug Spending and Use
This issue paper provides the latest data and trend analysis on Medicaid prescription drug spending and utilization. In 2002, Medicaid programs spent $30 billion for prescribed drugs.Issue Paper (.pdf)
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.
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Related Prescription Drugs Resources
- Insulin Out-of-Pocket Costs in Medicare Part D
- Prices Increased Faster Than Inflation for Half of all Drugs Covered by Medicare in 2020
- Out-of-pocket spending on insulin among people with private insurance
- How Do Prescription Drug Costs in the United States Compare to Other Countries?
- Public Opinion on Prescription Drugs and Their Prices
- Insulin Costs and Coverage in Medicare Part D
- Dec. 8 Event: Unpacking the Prescription Drug Provisions of 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
- Medicare Part B Drugs: Cost Implications for Beneficiaries in Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- 10 FAQs on Prescription Drug Importation
- Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drug Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Prescription Drug Rebates, Explained
- Who is most likely to have high prescription drug costs?
- Latest News on Prescription Drugs from Kaiser Health News
How Would the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Senate Reconciliation Proposal Affect Medicare Beneficiaries?
The brief provides a quick explainer of the prescription drug provisions in legislative text released by the Senate Finance Committee to be included in a forthcoming reconciliation bill and presents new estimates on how many Medicare beneficiaries could be helped by those provisions.
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Consumer Protection Issues Raised by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
This paper identifies and examines consumer protection issues that arise from the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Key issue areas include: beneficiary information, marketing, enrollment and disenrollment, the drug benefit package and cost-sharing, the appeals process, concerns for low-income beneficiaries, challenges for nursing home issues, and…
Views of the New Medicare Drug Law – Chartpack By Income Group
This comprehensive survey of people on Medicare, conducted in June and July 2004, assesses their attitudes toward the new Medicare drug law. This chartpack, issued in September 2004, presents additional analysis on the survey data, looking at key findings broken down by income group.Chartpack (.pdf)
Briefing on State Medicaid Programs, the Recession and Health Reform
The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) held a 9:30 a.m. ET briefing on Thursday, September 30 to examine the challenges facing states as they continue to struggle with the lingering impacts of the recession and begin preparing to implement health reform. Three reports were released…
Choosing a Medicare Part D Plan: Are Medicare Beneficiaries Choosing Low-Cost Plans?
Since 2006, Medicare beneficiaries have had the opportunity to choose from among dozens of plans to get the Part D prescription drug benefit, facing wide variation in benefits, premiums and cost-sharing. The array of choices, with more than 50 stand-alone drug plans in many states, could allow beneficiaries to select…
Prospects for Retiree Health Benefits as Medicare Drug Coverage Begins – Report
Prospects for Retiree Health Benefits as Medicare Drug Coverage Begins:Findings from the Kaiser/Hewitt 2005 Survey on Retiree Health Benefits – ReportThis report assesses how large businesses that provide retiree health benefits to their workers are responding to the new Medicare drug benefit in 2006, their plans for the future, and…
Hispanics and the New Medicare Drug Benefit
In a few short weeks, Medicare will undergo big changes that will have a major impact on more than 3 million Hispanic seniors and younger people with permanent disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than one in three Hispanics with Medicare lack coverage for their prescription…
Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey of the Public’s Views on Medicare
Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health National Survey of the Public’s Views on MedicareA new national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health examines the public’s attitudes and opinions on issues related to the Medicare reform and prescription drug debate. The survey also…
Designing a Medicare Drug Discount Card: Implications of Policy Choices for Medicare Beneficiaries and Plan Sponsors
This report analyzes key issues surrounding the implementation of a Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount card program. Medicare prescription drug discount cards have been proposed as a short-term strategy for lowering prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries. The report considers the implications for both discount card sponsors and beneficiaries of alternative…
Summary of Key Changes to Medicare in 2010 Health Reform Law
Summary of Key Changes to Medicare in 2010 Health Reform Law . This brief provides a detailed look at the improvements in Medicare benefits, changes to payments for providers and Medicare Advantage plans, various demonstration projects and other Medicare provisions in the law. It includes a timeline of key dates for implementing the Medicare-related provisions in the law.