Medicare drug spending: 4 fast facts

A disproportionate share of Medicare Part B and Part D prescription drug spending comes from a small amount of drugs, according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

For its analysis, KFF researchers measured the share of total Medicare Part D and Part B drug spending for top-selling prescriptions in 2019 that were covered by each part.

Four fast facts to know:  

1. Sixty percent of net total Part D spending, or $87 billion, came from the 250 top-selling drugs in Medicare Part D. 

2. The top 250 Part D drugs, which account for only 7 percent of all Part D covered drugs, had one manufacturer and no generic or biosimilar.

3. Eighty percent of Medicare Part B drug spending, or $30 billion, came from the top 50 drugs.

4. The top 50 Medicare Part B drugs only account for 8.5 percent of all Part B covered drugs. 

Read the full analysis here.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Articles We Think You'll Like