Medicare Prescription Drug Costs
A comprehensive look at where $275.6 billion in Medicare Part D spending goes — every drug, every provider, every state.
$275.65B
Total Drug Costs
1,615,685,370
Prescriptions Filled
$185.46B
Brand-Name Drugs
$39.45B
Generic Drugs
The Scope of Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D is the prescription drug benefit that covers over 48 million Americans. In 2023, 1,380,665 healthcare providers wrote 1,615,685,370 prescriptions totaling $275.65B in drug costs — making it one of the largest prescription drug programs in the world.
Top 10 Most Expensive Drugs
| # | Drug | Total Cost | Claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apixaban (Eliquis) | $7.75B | 8,995,930 |
| 2 | Semaglutide (Ozempic) | $4.30B | 3,193,643 |
| 3 | Empagliflozin (Jardiance) | $3.58B | 3,334,784 |
| 4 | Dulaglutide (Trulicity) | $2.99B | 2,175,100 |
| 5 | Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) | $2.45B | 2,628,123 |
| 6 | Adalimumab (Humira(Cf) Pen) | $2.17B | 240,925 |
| 7 | Lenalidomide (Revlimid) | $2.15B | 130,834 |
| 8 | Insulin Glargine,hum.Rec.Anlog (Lantus Solostar) | $1.94B | 3,118,259 |
| 9 | Fluticasone/Umeclidin/Vilanter (Trelegy Ellipta) | $1.81B | 2,046,216 |
| 10 | Dapagliflozin Propanediol (Farxiga) | $1.65B | 1,666,200 |
Key Trends in Drug Spending
- 50% growth in 5 years: Part D spending rose from $183B (2019) to $275.6B (2023)
- GLP-1 explosion: Ozempic and similar drugs now cost Medicare $8.4 billion annually
- Brand vs generic gap: Brand drugs are 13.4% of prescriptions but 67% of costs
- IRA price negotiation: 10 drugs representing $22B in spending face negotiated prices starting 2026
Explore the Data
OpenPrescriber provides the most detailed public analysis of Medicare Part D prescribing data available:
Data from CMS Medicare Part D Public Use Files, 2019-2023. Methodology · About