Amid heightened public concern, the cost of prescription drugs is the focus of renewed attention by the Trump administration, the Biden campaign 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
- Assessing Drug Price Increases in Medicare Part D and the Implications of Inflation Limits
- 10 FAQs on Prescription Drug Importation
- Pricing and Payment for Medicaid Prescription Drugs
- Management and Delivery of the Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit
- 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?
- How Will The Medicare Part D Benefit Change Under Current Law and Leading Proposals?
- Medicaid’s Prescription Drug Benefit: Key Facts
- Prescription Drug Rebates, Explained
- Who is Most Likely to Have High Prescription Drug Costs?
- 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, 2014-2017
- How Does Prescription Drug Spending and Use Compare Across Large Employer Plans, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid?
What’s the Latest on Prescription Drug Proposals from the Trump Administration, Congress, and the Biden Campaign?
This slideshow explains the similarities and differences among major proposals to lower prescription drug costs introduced by the Trump Administration, members of Congress, and the Biden campaign.
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Pharmacy Plus Waivers: Trade Offs Between Expanding Rx Coverage and Global Caps in Medicaid
The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has been monitoring the development of the Pharmacy Plus waiver initiated by the Bush Administration in 2002 and tracking the states that have pending or approved plans. The Commission has developed some materials describing the initiative, examining the financing mechanism, and discussing…
Issue Brief Read More The Financing of Pharmacy Plus Waivers: Implications for Seniors on Medicaid of Global Funding Caps
This policy brief describes Pharmacy Plus waivers being considered by some states for their Medicaid program and their implications for Medicaid financing. These waivers offer an opportunity for prescription drug coverage for low-income seniors, but they also include a major change in the financing of care for all seniors on…
Issue Brief Read More National ADAP Monitoring Project, Annual Report, April 2003
This report, the seventh in an annual series, provides an overview of the status of state-administered AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and documents how these programs are responding to the changing fiscal, clinical and epidemiological dynamics of HIV/AIDS.ADAPs, authorized under Title II of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency…
Report Read More Medicare and Prescription Drugs, Fact Sheet
This fact sheet, updated in April 2003, profiles current sources of prescription drug coverage among the Medicare population, describes the characteristics of beneficiaries who lack drug coverage and the implications of being without such coverage, and provides current data on prescription drug use and spending. Fact Sheet (.pdf)
Fact Sheet Read More Prior Authorization for Medicaid Prescription Drugs in Five States: Lessons for Policy Makers
This report is a case study of five states’ (California, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington) implementation of prior authorization in their Medicaid programs.
Report Read More Model Prescription Drug Prior Authorization Process for State Medicaid Programs
This report details the rules governing prior authorization programs and the major steps in a model process based on key issues raised by beneficiary advocates, provider groups and states.Report
Report Read More How Do M+C Plans Manage Pharmacy Benefits? Implications for Medicare Reform
Understanding how Medicare+Choice (M+C) plans manage their drug benefits may generate important lessons for Medicare. This report, based on interviews with both national and regional managed care firms, provides an in-depth look at how plans have managed their M+C outpatient pharmacy benefits in recent years. Findings show that plans rely…
Report Read More Issue Brief: Trends in Opportunistic Infection Drug Coverage and Spending by AIDS Drug Assistance Programs
This issue brief, prepared as part of the National ADAP Monitoring Project, examines ADAP formulary coverage of medications for the prevention and treatment of AIDS-related Opportunistic Infections across states, including trends in coverage and expenditures over time, and discusses some of the potential reasons for variations in coverage. For more…
Issue Brief Read More Case Study: Michigan’s Medicaid Prescription Drug Benefit
Case Study: Michigan's Medicaid Prescription Drug BenefitThis report describes the legislative process behind and content of Michigan's Pharmaceutical Product List (MPPL), a selection of preferred drugs available to be prescribed in the Medicaid program with little restriction. Providers would be required to obtain prior authorization from the state to prescribe…
Report Read More The Current State of Retiree Health Benefits: Findings from the Kaiser/Hewitt 2002 Retiree Health Survey
This report presents findings from a study of large private-sector employers conducted by researchers at Hewitt Associates and the Kaiser Family Foundation between July and September of 2002. The study is based on survey responses of 435 large private-sector firms (1,000+ employees) that currently offer retiree health benefits, and includes…
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