Most patients enrolled in Medicare are unaware of upcoming Part D changes
A recent national poll from the PAN Foundation’s Center for Patient Research found that most people enrolled in Medicare (87 percent) have not seen, read, or heard anything about the upcoming Medicare Part D reforms taking effect January 1, 2025—which include a Medicare Part D cap and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
Other key findings include:
- 60 percent of those surveyed still had never heard of the Medicare Part D cap, even after being provided with a description of the reform.
- 73 percent of those surveyed still had never heard of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, even after being provided with a description of the reform.
- The majority of those enrolled in Medicare (73 percent) would be interested in learning more about these upcoming reforms.
“The historic Medicare Part D reforms included in the Inflation Reduction Act have the potential to be life-changing for many patients across the country, but a lack of education has led to a huge awareness gap,” said Kevin L. Hagan, president and CEO of the PAN Foundation. “That’s why we are launching a comprehensive educational campaign aimed at providing patients with easy-to-understand resources to better understand the impact these reforms will have on them.
Polling methodology
The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The PAN Foundation among 1,006 US Adults aged 18+ currently on Medicare/Medicare Advantage. The survey was conducted June 6 – June 25, 2024. Data are weighted where necessary among those on Medicare by age by gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, and household income to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +3.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
About the PAN Foundation
As a leading charitable foundation and healthcare advocacy organization, the PAN Foundation is dedicated to accelerating access to treatment for those who need it most and empowering patients on their healthcare journeys. We provide critical financial assistance for treatment costs, advocate for policy solutions that expand access to care, and deliver education on complex topics—all driven by our belief that everyone deserves access to affordable, equitable healthcare.
Since 2004, our financial assistance programs have helped more than 1.2 million people to start or stay on life-changing treatment. In addition, we’ve achieved major policy victories that increase access to care, mobilized patient advocates to call for change, and educated people nationwide on critical healthcare-related topics. We’re committed to working towards a future where equitable health outcomes are a reality for all. To learn more, visit panfoundation.org.