Americans enrolled in Medicare will pay about 50 percent less out of pocket in 2026 for some drugs including Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb’s blood thinner Eliquis and Merck & Co’s diabetes drug Januvia, a study in the five most populous U.S. states suggested.
Medicare negotiated prices kick in next month for 10 drugs, a first for former President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Medicare covers over 67 million people aged 65 and older or with disabilities.
The report estimates that out-of-pocket costs for the 10 drugs will fall nearly 50 percent in 2026 versus 2025 in all 56 stand-alone prescription drug plans in California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania, the analysis of public Medicare spending data found….