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.

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…

Why Painkiller Addiction and Abuse Are Rising Health-Care Priorities

Nov 24, 2015

News Release

In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman uses new polling to explore why painkiller abuse and addiction is rising as a health issue among state and federal policymakers. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.

It Pays to Shop: Variation in Out-of-Pocket Costs for Medicare Part D Enrollees in 2016

Dec 2, 2015

Issue Brief

This analysis focuses on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare Part D enrollees in 2016 for specialty, brand, and generic drugs. Part D drug plans differ considerably in the drugs they list on their formularies, their use of formulary tiers, and the level and structure of cost sharing applied to those tiers. Plan decisions affect different beneficiaries in different ways, depending on the drugs they use. The financial consequences for Part D plan enrollees can be…

Medicare Part D Spending on the EpiPen Increased More than 1000 Percent from 2007 to 2014

Sep 21, 2016

News Release

As policymakers in Washington scrutinize the rising cost of the EpiPen auto-injector, a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that Medicare Part D spending for the potentially life-saving device increased by more than 1000 percent between 2007, the year after the Part D drug benefit took effect, and 2014, the most recent year for which data are available. The higher spending partly results from more Part D enrollees using EpiPens during that period,…

50-State Survey Finds Slower Growth in Total Medicaid Spending Nationally in FY 2016 and Projected for FY 2017 as Earlier Increases from the Affordable Care Act’s Coverage Expansions Taper Off

Oct 13, 2016

News Release

After record increases in fiscal year 2015, growth in Medicaid enrollment and total Medicaid spending nationally slowed substantially in FY 2016 and are projected to continue to slow in FY 2017 as the initial surge of enrollment under the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions tapered off, according to the 16th annual 50-state Medicaid Budget Survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Despite recent trends, Medicaid officials identified high cost and specialty drugs…

Medicare Part D: A First Look at Prescription Drug Plans in 2017

Oct 17, 2016

Issue Brief

This issue brief provides an overview of the 2017 Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plan marketplace, based on analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The brief focuses on data for 2017 and changes over time in plan availability, premiums, benefit design, cost sharing, and low-income subsidy plan availability.

Medicare Drug Plan Enrollees Would Face an Average 9 Percent Premium Increase Unless They Switch Plans During Open Enrollment, New Analysis Finds

Oct 17, 2016

News Release

Current enrollees in stand-alone Medicare Part D plans are projected to face an average 9 percent increase in premiums if they remain in their current plan for 2017, according to an analysis released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation. During Medicare’s 2017 open enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, Medicare beneficiaries in each state will have a choice of 22 stand-alone Part D drug plans (PDPs), on average. This is fewer…

What Are Recent Trends and Characteristics of Workers with High Drug Spending?

Oct 31, 2016

Feature

This slideshow explores prescription drug spending for people who are covered by large employer health plans.

10 Essential Facts About Medicare and Prescription Drug Spending: A Slideshow

Nov 10, 2017

Feature

10 Essential Facts About Medicare and Prescription Drug Spending November 2017 Download

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