Some of the facts are quite surprising...
After a period of relatively slow growth, total and per capita Part D spending has increased more rapidly in the past few years mainly due to treatments for hepatitis C, and is projected to increase more rapidly in the next decade as more high-priced specialty drugs become available, according to the recently-released annual report of the Medicare Boards of Trustees.
Even with Medicare’s prescription drug coverage, beneficiaries can face substantial out-of-pocket costs, particularly if they use specialty drugs or multiple high-cost brand-name drugs. The following series of graphics examines trends in Medicare spending on prescription drugs, Medicare beneficiary out-of-pocket drug spending, and what the public thinks about different options for keeping drug costs down.