A New Analysis Takes a Closer Look at Online Contraception Platforms Amid the Pandemic May 18, 2021 News Release Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, hormonal contraception became more accessible to many outside of traditional clinical settings through websites or apps that offer contraception via telehealth. To better understand this emerging method of contraceptive access, a new KFF analysis provides a deeper look at telecontraception platforms, offering insights into…
Potential Implications of Policy Changes in Medicaid Drug Purchasing May 4, 2021 Issue Brief This brief examines how leading federal and state policy options related to changes in Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP), drug pricing, and payment and management of the Medicaid prescription drug would affect state and federal governments as well as private industry (including drug manufacturers, managed care organizations, and pharmacies).
A Small Group of Patients Account for a Whole Lot of Spending July 29, 2019 Perspective You have heard about the 5% of the population responsible for 50% of spending. Meet the 1.3%–persistent high spenders with very complex medical needs responsible for 20%. Drew Altman discusses this and possible ways to help them, read the Axios column.
Explainer Video Breaks Down Prescription Drug Rebates and Why They Matter in the Debate About Prescription Drug Costs July 26, 2019 News Release A new KFF animation explains how rebates for prescription drugs work, including how they are determined, who benefits from them, how they affect spending by insurers and consumers and the role of pharmacy benefit managers in the process. The Trump Administration had proposed banning such rebates in Medicare Part D,…
Prescription Drug Rebates, Explained July 26, 2019 Video This animation explains how rebates for prescription drugs work and why they matter in the debate about lowering drug costs. The video breaks down how prescription drug rebates are determined, who benefits from them, how they affect spending by insurers and consumers and the role of pharmacy benefit managers in…
A Look at Recent Proposals to Control Drug Spending by Medicare and its Beneficiaries November 26, 2019 Issue Brief In response to higher drug spending growth and heightened attention to drug prices, policymakers have proposed a variety of policy initiatives to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Medicare. This brief examines in detail the range of proposals offered by the Trump Administration and members of Congress for lowering the cost of prescription drugs, their known effects on the federal budget, and their potential implications for beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
Analysis Finds that Medications for Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS Are the Costliest Group of Outpatient Prescription Drugs for Medicaid, While Diabetes Drugs Have Posted the Sharpest Rise in Costs February 15, 2019 News Release Antiviral medications, including those that treat hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS, cost the Medicaid program more money (before rebates) than any other group of outpatient prescription drugs for each year from 2014 to 2017, according to a new KFF analysis. The analysis of utilization and spending trends finds that antivirals accounted…
Utilization and Spending Trends in Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drugs, 2014-2017 February 15, 2019 Issue Brief Although the outpatient drug benefit accounts for only 6% of total Medicaid spending, drug spending has increased by double digits in recent years, and is expected to grow faster than most other Medicaid services in the next 10 years. This issue brief examines drug spending and utilization from 2014 through 2017 by drug group, brand and generic status, and biologic status to understand the causes for this increase in spending.
What Steps Are Washington Policymakers Pursuing to Control Medicare Prescription Drug Spending? August 1, 2019 News Release As policymakers in Washington discuss ways to curb the rising cost of prescription drugs, KFF has released a summary and analysis of proposals and recently finalized initiatives that affect Medicare prescription drug spending. Medicare, the federal health program that covers more than 60 million seniors and younger people with disabilities,…
How Many Medicare Part D Enrollees Had High Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs in 2017? June 21, 2019 Issue Brief The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit has helped improve the affordability of medications for people with Medicare. Yet Part D enrollees can face relatively high out-of-pocket costs because the Part D benefit does not have a hard cap on out-of-pocket spending. This analysis presents the latest data on out-of-pocket drug spending among Medicare Part D enrollees without low-income subsidies who have costs above the catastrophic coverage threshold.