10 Prescription Drugs Accounted for $48 Billion in Medicare Part D Spending in 2021, or More Than One-Fifth of Part D Spending That Year July 12, 2023 News Release A new KFF analysis finds that the 10 top-selling prescription drugs under Medicare Part D comprised less than 1 percent of all covered drugs in 2021, but accounted for 22 percent, or $48 billion, of gross Medicare Part D drug spending that year. The analysis provides context for understanding the…
10 Things to Know About Medicaid June 30, 2023 Issue Brief Medicaid is the primary program providing comprehensive coverage of health care and long-term services and supports to more than 90 million low-income people in the United States. In 2023, Medicaid programs are facing new challenges and millions of enrollees are at risk of losing coverage as states unwind the continuous enrollment provision that was put in place early in the pandemic to ensure stable coverage.
New KFF Analysis Examines Rapidly Evolving Federal Policies For Substance Use Disorder Treatment for the Opioid Epidemic July 11, 2023 News Release A new KFF analysis finds that 24 percent more buprenorphine, a medication to treat opioid use disorder, was dispensed in 2022 than in 2019, the year before the pandemic brought a surge of opioid overdose deaths – and a focus on how to expand access and treatment. This upward trend…
A Small Number of Drugs Account for a Large Share of Medicare Part D Spending July 12, 2023 Issue Brief The Inflation Reduction Act requires the federal government to negotiate the price of certain high-spending drugs covered by Medicare. This analysis provides context for understanding the potential impact of negotiating prices for a limited number of Medicare-covered drugs by identifying the 10 top-selling Part D drugs in 2021, measuring the share of total Part D drug spending accounted for by top-selling drugs that year, and examining changes in spending and use of these drugs since 2018.
Medicaid Expansion Has Had Beneficial Effects on Some Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes June 29, 2023 News Release A new KFF review of more than three dozen studies published between April 2021 and June 2023 finds that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act is associated with beneficial effects on a range of sexual and reproductive health outcomes. The studies, which echo findings of previous research, find that…
New Alzheimer’s Drugs Spark Hope for Patients and Cost Concerns for Medicare July 6, 2023 Blog The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Leqembi, a new Alzheimer’s drug, on July 6, 2023. This updated policy watch focuses on the implications of Medicare coverage of the drug for program spending as well as equity and affordability issues for beneficiaries, and the potential for the Inflation Reduction Act to address the spending impacts. It also covers additional details from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about patient registries.
What Does the Recent Literature Say About Medicaid Expansion?: Impacts on Sexual and Reproductive Health June 29, 2023 Issue Brief This brief summarizes recent studies on the impacts of Medicaid expansion on a range of sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
Fiscal Implications for Medicaid of Enhanced Federal Funding and Continuous Enrollment June 16, 2023 Issue Brief This brief examines how Medicaid spending changed during the continuous enrollment period and estimates the amount of enhanced federal funding states received during the continuous enrollment period.
States Received Over $117 Billion in Enhanced Federal Medicaid Funding for Pausing Disenrollments During the Pandemic; Non-Expansion States Received a Disproportionate Share June 16, 2023 News Release A new KFF analysis finds that states received over $117 billion in enhanced federal Medicaid funding in exchange for pausing disenrollments during the first three years of the pandemic. The injection of federal money enabled states to spend less of their own funds on Medicaid even as enrollment rose by…
Anna Mudumala June 15, 2023 Person Anna Mudumala is a research assistant with KFF’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured. She conducts research and policy analysis on Medicaid and its impacts on low-income Americans. She analyzes state Medicaid policy and financing through the annual 50-state Medicaid budget survey. Mudumala previously worked for the Alliance for Health…