By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Trends in Medicare Part D
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Trends in Medicare Part D
Policy & Law

Trends in Medicare Part D

JasonShafrin
JasonShafrin
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Recent research from Avalere Health, LLC using Medicare Part D reveals some interesting trends.  Overall, premiums for fee-for-service prescription drug plans (PDPs) increased by 3%.  For beneficiaries who enrolled in a Top 10 plan, however, premiums actually decreased by 6%.  This result was driven by a 12% decrease in premiums for the largest PDP, AARP MedicareRxPreferred and the recent arrival of the low cost Humana-Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan.

Recent research from Avalere Health, LLC using Medicare Part D reveals some interesting trends.  Overall, premiums for fee-for-service prescription drug plans (PDPs) increased by 3%.  For beneficiaries who enrolled in a Top 10 plan, however, premiums actually decreased by 6%.  This result was driven by a 12% decrease in premiums for the largest PDP, AARP MedicareRxPreferred and the recent arrival of the low cost Humana-Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan.

Although the total number of Special Needs Plans (SNP) has held fairly steady over time, the number of enrollees in a dual-eligible SNP has risen by 11% between 2010 and 2011.  Additional information on SNPs is below.

Within the Medicare Advantage program, enrollment in HMO and PPO plans continues to grow as PFFS enrollment declines.

More Read

SCOTUS Rules on a Couple of Important Pharma Cases
“Job Lock” from Employer-Based Health Benefits: What Should Government Do?
4 Reasons Doctors Are Taking a Fresh Look at In-Office Dispensing
Information Therapy: Better for Doctor, Better for Patient
The DNA Doctor Consultation Of the Future

Additional Part D trends are highlighted below.  This spreadsheet provides even more detail.

Plan Consolidation in 2011

  • The top 3 PDP plans made up 45.4% of all PDP enrollees.  The top 10 plans made up 73.2% of all PDP enrollees.
  • CIGNA Medicare Rx Plan One joined the top 10 PDPs as did the Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan.
  • UnitedHealth, Humana, and Kaiser provide MA benefits to 44% of all MA enrollees

Part D Sponsor Acquisition and Plan Consolidation

  • CVS Caremark will acquire Universal American’s PDP plans and members after Q1 of 2011
  • AARP MedicareRxSaver consolidated into AARP MedicareRxPreferred
  • PrescriberRxBronze consolidated into Community CCRxBasic

Prices

  • Overall, PDP premiums increased by 3%.  For beneficiaries who enrolled in a Top 10 plan, however, premiums actually decreased by 6%.  This result was driven by a 12% decrease in premiums for the largest PDP, AARP MedicareRxPreferred and the advent of the low cost Humana-Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan.

Special Needs Plans

According to the CMS website, Special Needs Plans (SNPs) were created by Congress in the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 as a new type of Medicare managed care plan focused on certain vulnerable groups of Medicare beneficiaries: the institutionalized, dual-eligibles and beneficiaries with severe or disabling chronic conditions. These beneficiaries are typically older, with multiple comorbid conditions, and thus are more challenging and costly to treat.  Dual-eligible SNPs also offer the opportunity of enhanced benefits by combining those available through Medicare and Medicaid…Specific legislative and regulatory provisions allow SNPs to focus on specific subsets of the Medicare population with the intent to improve care and control costs for these beneficiaries. Consistent, comparable measures that reflect the service delivery and outcomes important to these populations and that promote quality improvement and maturation of SNP products are necessary.

The fifteen SNP-specific chronic conditions approved for 2010 are: 1) Chronic alcohol and other drug dependence; 2) certain auto-immune disorders; 3) cancer (excluding pre-cancer conditions; 4) certain cardiovascular disorders; 5) chronic heart failure; 6) dementia; 7) diabetes mellitus; 8) end-stage liver disease; 9) end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis; 10) certain hematologic disorders; 11) HIV/AIDS; 12) certain chronic lung disorders; 13) certain mental health disorders; 14) certain neurologic disorders; and 15) stroke.

 

TAGGED:health care policyMedicare
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

ebola gene sequencing
eHealthGlobal HealthcareMedical InnovationsNewsTechnology

Next-Gen Sequencing Could Unlock Ebola’s Secrets

September 29, 2014
Health careMarketing

Top 3 Reasons Healthcare Marketers Need To A/B Test

April 5, 2019
Medical Ethics

Pharmaceutical Gifts Corrupt Doctors: A Physician Confesses

May 20, 2012
Image
Policy & Law

Will the Federal Government Bankrupt the States?

March 31, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?