Place a limit on out-of-pocket costs in Medicare Part D
In accordance with the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, people with Medicare Part D prescription drug plans will not pay more than $2,000 per year for their medications beginning in 2025.
PAN’S POSITION
Out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications should be capped by instituting monthly or annual limits.
Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should set a limit on the amount Medicare beneficiaries must spend out-of-pocket on prescription drugs.
A monthly or annual cap would facilitate access to needed treatments, protect patients from high out-of-pocket costs, and help beneficiaries predict and plan for these costs throughout the year.
Why a cap is needed in Medicare Part D
Medicare beneficiaries are the only group of insured people in the U.S. that is not protected by a cap on annual out-of-pocket costs, forcing many to make difficult trade-offs or to forgo treatment altogether.
Some patients who require expensive but life-saving medications can incur thousands of dollars throughout the year in out-of-pocket costs for their prescriptions.
My copays are out of this world. Something has to be done about it.
Joan Durnell Powell, California, living with myelodysplastic syndrome
