Part D beneficiaries hit hardest under 2019 price hikes

Drug price increases announced beginning Jan. 1 will disproportionately affect Medicare Part D beneficiaries, reinforcing a practice the Trump administration has sought to curb.

Data from Evercore ISI Research on 13 pharmaceutical and biotech companies shows that list prices for 17 of their top drugs in terms of revenue will increase an average of 6.5%. The list includes an average 7.4% increase across 12 drugs covered under Medicare Part D. Higher list prices for Part D drugs hit patients directly, as patient co-pays are based on list prices, which do not reflect rebates to PBMs...