Prescription Drugs - Research and Data from KFF

Prices Increased Faster Than Inflation for Half of all Drugs Covered by Medicare in 2020

Feb 25, 2022

Issue Brief

Recent legislation would require drug companies to pay rebates to the federal government when annual increases in prescription drug prices for Medicare and private insurance exceed the rate of inflation. As context for understanding the possible impact of this proposal, this analysis compares price changes for drugs covered by Medicare Part B (administered by physicians) and Part D (retail prescription drugs) between 2019 and 2020 to the inflation rate over the same period.

How Do Prescription Drug Costs in the United States Compare to Other Countries?

Feb 8, 2022

Feature

This chart collection examines what we know about prescription drug spending and use in the U.S. and comparably large and wealthy countries, using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Millions of Medicare Beneficiaries Use Prescription Drugs That Could Be Subject to Price Negotiation, But Build Back Better Act Provision Exempts Many Drugs With High Federal Spending

Jan 27, 2022

News Release

Twenty drugs and dozens of insulin products used by 8.5 million Medicare beneficiaries would be subject to government drug price negotiation if the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) were enacted and fully implemented in 2022, according to a new KFF analysis.

Simulating the Impact of the Drug Price Negotiation Proposal in the Build Back Better Act

Jan 27, 2022

Issue Brief

The Build Back Better Act (BBBA) includes a range of health and other proposals supported by President Biden, including a proposal to allow the federal government to negotiate the price of some prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part B (administered by physicians) and Medicare Part D (retail outpatient drugs). This brief illustrates the potential scope of the drug price negotiation proposal in the BBBA. This analysis is designed to highlight the types of Medicare-covered drugs that could be subject to negotiation, and which of the current top-spending drugs covered by Part B and Part D could be subject to price negotiation, and in what years, if the BBBA is enacted.

Why Medicare’s Aduhelm Coverage Decision Could Increase Pressure on Officials to Roll Back the Record Part B Premium Increase for 2022

Jan 14, 2022

News Release

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.

Medicare’s Coverage Decision for the New Alzheimer’s Drug and Why It Matters

Jan 14, 2022

Policy Watch

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.

Monthly Part B Premiums and Annual Percentage Increases

Jan 12, 2022

Feature

The $21.60 increase in 2022 is the largest in dollar terms since the start of the program, even though premiums have risen faster in percentage terms on three other occasions in the last 20 years

Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drug Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dec 14, 2021

Issue Brief

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.

Dec. 8 Event: Unpacking the Prescription Drug Provisions of the Build Back Better Act

Event Date: Dec 8, 2021

Event

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.

How Build Back Better Would Affect Drug Costs

Dec 8, 2021

Feature

Provisions in the bill that would lower prescription drug costs and reduce federal drug spending would take effect over the next several years, starting in 2023.

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