STAT Plus: Medicare Part D rebates ‘substantially’ reduced drug spending, but not enough to offset price hikes
As controversy continues over prescription drug pricing, a new study finds that Medicare Part D spent $2 billion more for brand-name medicines in 2015 than four years earlier, even though drug makers offered rebates to win favorable coverage from health plans.
Specifically, reimbursement to pharmacies for more than 1,500 brand-name medicines rose 19% from 2011 to 2015, while manufacturer rebates offered Medicare Part D plan sponsors increased 4% during that time, according to the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, which ran the analysis in response to a request from Congress.
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