Medicare Part D in 2025: A First Look at Prescription Drug Plan Availability, Premiums, and Cost Sharing

[somarco]

MAP's that so many people sell that have zero premiums, higher commissions, etc. and extras rely on subsidies too. So if you object to subsidies then you need to think about all the things in senior medical care subsidized, not just D.

MAP's do in fact exist because of generous subsidies, but also by cost shifting especially via claim denials & delays.

So many ways to play this game without losing money.

Many folks have no idea how much the cost of prescription meds have increased BECAUSE of Part D.

 

[gregj]

money is REAL. It's a real thing.

not sure what you really mean by this, but money is a collective belief. it is every bit as "real" as poetry.

make no mistake -- that turns out to be a good thing.

 

[gregj]

Many folks have no idea how much the cost of prescription meds have increased BECAUSE of Part D.

got some details on this?

 

[axeman462]

got some details on this?

Pretty simple. Medicare and Medicaid are by far the largest payers of prescription drugs in the country. As a result, they are a major distorter of the free market's pricing ability.

Remove Medicare/Medicaid from the equation, and suddenly you have something much closer to a free market and the end consumer's ability to pay for the prescriptions. If that were to happen (which it never will), the price of prescriptions would come down dramatically.

 

[annon123]

Pretty simple. Medicare and Medicaid are by far the largest payers of prescription drugs in the country. As a result, they are a major distorter of the free market's pricing ability.

Remove Medicare/Medicaid from the equation, and suddenly you have something much closer to a free market and the end consumer's ability to pay for the prescriptions. If that were to happen (which it never will), the price of prescriptions would come down dramatically.

I'd add to that since medicare is the only "insurance company" (not using that term literally)for drugs that can't negotiate drug prices that also reduces free market influences on drug prices for seniors.