BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

CMS launches Medicare drug spending database

December 23, 2015 1:51 AM UTC

CMS released its Medicare Drug Spending Dashboard, which details prescription drug spending through Medicare Part B and Part D. The sortable database includes 80 drugs that can be ranked based on total annual cost, spending per patient and annual cost increase in 2014.

CMS said the database represents 71% of all Part B spending and 33% of all Part D spending in 2014, and accounts for $55 billion of the more than $143 billion in Medicare drug spending in that period. The agency also said Part B and Part D drug spending accounted for 14% of total Medicare spending in 2014, up from 11% in 2010. The database does not include rebates or discounts to Part D plan sponsors. ...