Prescription Drugs Eat Up Bigger Share of Spending by Medicare

Prescription drugs made up a larger-than-expected and growing portion of Medicare spending, a trend researchers warn risks complicating a new drug pricing law meant to help seniors afford their medicines.

Prescription drugs represented roughly 27% of what Medicare spends on each person in its fee-for-service programs in 2019, up from 24% in 2008, according to a study released Tuesday in JAMA.

Previous estimates have claimed drugs make up as little as 20% of spending in Medicare, the federal health insurance program for those aged 65 and over and for the disabled. One long-standing argument against tackling prescription drug costs ...