Medicare Part D: The Complete Data Guide
Medicare Part D is the federal prescription drug benefit, covering ~52 million Americans. In 2023, Part D cost $275.65B across 1,615,685,370 prescriptions filled by 1,380,665 providers.
What Is Medicare Part D?
Medicare Part D is the optional prescription drug benefit available to all Medicare beneficiaries. Created by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 and launched in 2006, it's administered through private insurance plans — not directly by the government.
Key facts:
- ~52 million enrollees (2023)
- $275.65B in total drug costs (2023)
- 1,380,665 prescribers across 205 specialties
- Covers brand-name and generic drugs through formulary tiers
- $2,000 out-of-pocket cap starting 2025 (IRA provision)
Part D by the Numbers (2023)
$275.65B
Total Drug Costs
1,615,685,370
Prescriptions Filled
1,380,665
Prescribers
$171
Avg Cost Per Rx
13.4%
Brand-Name Rx
450,343
Opioid Prescribers
5-Year Spending Trend
Part D costs have grown 51% in five years:
2019
$183.05B
2020
$198.51B
2021
$215.52B
2022
$240.22B
2023
$275.65B
Most Expensive Drugs in Part D
| # | Drug | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eliquis (Apixaban) | $7.75B |
| 2 | Ozempic (Semaglutide) | $4.30B |
| 3 | Jardiance (Empagliflozin) | $3.58B |
| 4 | Trulicity (Dulaglutide) | $2.99B |
| 5 | Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) | $2.45B |
| 6 | Humira(Cf) Pen (Adalimumab) | $2.17B |
| 7 | Revlimid (Lenalidomide) | $2.15B |
| 8 | Lantus Solostar (Insulin Glargine,hum.Rec.Anlog) | $1.94B |
| 9 | Trelegy Ellipta (Fluticasone/Umeclidin/Vilanter) | $1.81B |
| 10 | Farxiga (Dapagliflozin Propanediol) | $1.65B |
Key Issues in Part D
Drug Price Negotiation (IRA)
For the first time, Medicare can now negotiate drug prices. The first 10 drugs have negotiated prices effective 2026, with 15 more coming in 2027. See the IRA drug list →
Opioid Prescribing
450,343 Part D prescribers wrote opioid prescriptions in 2023, with 113,169 showing rates above 20%. See opioid prescribing data →
Fraud and Waste
CMS estimated $31+ billion in improper Medicare payments in FY2024. Our analysis flags 233 high-risk prescribers and identified 372 excluded providers still active in the system. See fraud analysis →
GLP-1 Drug Surge
Ozempic, Trulicity, and Mounjaro are the fastest-growing drug category, now costing Medicare $8+ billion annually. Track GLP-1 spending →
Explore the Data
OpenPrescriber makes all of this data freely searchable and analyzable. No paywall, no login required.