Aduhelm’s Limited Medicare Coverage Spurs Calls to Cut Premiums

Medicare’s decision to limit coverage of Biogen Inc.'s controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm is already spurring calls for the Biden administration to lower the program’s largest-ever rate increase this year.

The standard monthly premium for Medicare outpatient, or “Part B,” coverage went from $148.50 in 2021 to $170.10 this year, in part to shore up contingency reserves in case the program began to cover Aduhelm. The costly drug was first priced at $56,000 a year, but has since been lowered to $28,000.

The $21.60 increase is the largest annual dollar-amount rate hike ever for Part B coverage, while the 14.5% increase ...