In this 10-page report, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which advises Congress on Medicare spending, outlines how the Medicare program pays for medications and examines spending on drugs in each of Medicare’s various payment systems (fee for service, Part B), Medicare Advantage (Part C) and private drug plans (Part D). The report provides a useful snapshot for journalists seeking to track Medicare drug spending over time. It addition, the report shows how Medicare drug spending has increased since 2004 when Medicare Part D was introduced.
