Prescription Drugs - Research and Data from KFF

How Do Prices of Drugs for Weight Loss in the U.S. Compare to Peer Nations’ Prices?

Aug 17, 2023

Issue Brief

A class of drugs initially approved for diabetes treatment has captured the public’s and policymakers’ attention as interest in their off-label use for weight loss rises. The weight-loss benefits of these drugs have led to their prescribed use for obesity or overweight treatment. A new analysis compares list prices for semaglutide—including Ozempic, which has been approved in the U.S. for diabetes, and Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient and has been approved for weight…

Will Where You Live Determine Access and Coverage of Emerging Anti-Obesity Drugs?

Aug 30, 2023

Policy Watch

The U.S. Midwest and South regions have higher average obesity rates among adults. What does this mean for access and coverage of prescription drugs for weight loss?

How Medicare’s New Drug Price Negotiation Program Could Expand Access to Selected Drugs

Sep 26, 2023

Issue Brief

This brief examines how Part D enrollees’ access to and utilization of the first set of 10 selected drugs could be affected by the new Part D coverage and formulary requirements for selected drugs established by the Inflation Reduction Act and in CMS guidance, as well as the potential for lower out-of-pocket costs.

The 4 Arguments You Will Hear Against Drug Price Negotiation

Sep 6, 2023

Perspective

As the Biden administration begins the process of negotiation drug prices for Medicare as authorized in the Inflation Reduction Act, KFF's Larry Levitt probes some of the arguments against it and the policy and political implications of the debate in this New York Times op-ed column.

How Would the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Senate Reconciliation Proposal Affect Medicare Beneficiaries?

Jul 27, 2022

Issue Brief

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.

The Biggest Health Care Reform in a Decade Could Lower Your Costs

Aug 13, 2022

Perspective

Larry Levitt writes about the political and practical impact of the health care provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act in The New York Times guest essay, “The Biggest Health Care Reform in a Decade Could Lower Your Costs.”

Abortion Grows as a Motivator for Midterm Voters, Particularly for Democrats and in States Where It Has Become Illegal Since the Supreme Court Overturned Roe v. Wade

Oct 12, 2022

News Release

Few Voters Know About the Medicare Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, Though Seniors are More Aware and Would Be Likely to Vote for Candidates Who Support Them About a month ahead of the 2022 midterm election, abortion continues to grow as a motivating issue for voters, especially among Democrats and those living in states where abortion is now illegal, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. Half (50%) of voters now say the…

Two New KFF Analyses Show That a Relatively Small Share of Medicare Beneficiaries Compared Plan Options Or Switched Plans During a Recent Open Enrollment Period

Nov 1, 2022

News Release

As Medicare’s annual open enrollment period gets underway, two new analyses from KFF suggest that a relatively small share of the nation’s 65 million Medicare beneficiaries will shop around among the many coverage options for 2023 or switch plans. That decision could have a significant impact on enrollees’ coverage and costs. Results from one new KFF analysis show that only 3 in 10 beneficiaries (29%) compared their current plan with other Medicare plans offered during…

Medicare Part D: A First Look at Medicare Drug Plans in 2023

Nov 10, 2022

Issue Brief

This issue brief provides an overview of the Medicare Part D marketplace in 2023 and key trends over time, focusing primarily on stand-alone Medicare drug plans, including plan availability, premiums, and cost sharing. The brief also describes the prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that affect the Medicare Part D marketplace beginning in 2023

Most Women are in Favor of Making Birth Control Pills Available Over the Counter without a Prescription if Research Shows they are Safe and Effective

Nov 3, 2022

News Release

A new KFF survey finds that more than three-quarters (77%) of females ages 18-49 favor making birth control pills available without a doctor’s prescription if research shows they are safe and effective. Among those who favor making birth control pills available over the counter and who currently use prescription oral contraception, 60% say they would be likely to use over-the-counter birth control pills. Most say the main reason is convenience (59%). Many females who would…

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