CMS releases Medicare Drug Spending Dashboard

Forty drugs accounted for 71% of Medicare spending for drugs administered in physician and hospital outpatient settings last year, according to a dashboard released this week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Five of the drugs accounted for more than $1 billion each in Part B spending, CMS said. The dashboard looks at Part B and D drugs with the highest cost, cost increase or spending per user in 2014. The largest increase in average cost per unit was more than 500%. “The drugs included in the dashboard are likely to have an impact on spending and should spur public discussion of how these products are affecting the Medicare program,” wrote CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt and Chief Data Officer Niall Brennan. Comments and feedback on the dashboard may be sent to druglistinput@cms.hhs.gov. CMS plans to release similar data for Medicaid next year.