Content created by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has curated this Inflation Reduction Act Toolkit for anyone who wants to support and spread awareness about the new prescription drug law. In this toolkit, you'll find resources and materials that can serve as a foundation for your efforts to promote the Inflation Reduction Act. You're encouraged to make use of these resources as a starting point or a creative spark for your own initiatives aimed at sharing the benefits of this law with a wider audience.
Key Messaging
In this section, you'll find key messages that can serve as your compass through the new prescription drug law, highlighting the critical components and their real-world implications.
- The Inflation Reduction Act is one of the most consequential health care laws since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, and the biggest improvement to Medicare since the passage of Medicare Part D in 2003. This new prescription drug law is delivering lower prescription drug costs, making health insurance more affordable, and making the economy work for working families.
- Thanks to the President’s new lower cost prescription drug law, the lives of Medicare enrollees are changing for the better. Seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare are benefiting from a $35/month cap on the cost of each Medicare-covered insulin product and free, certain recommended preventive adult vaccines.
- A historic part of the President’s landmark prescription drug law allows Medicare, for the first time, to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers to lower the price of some of the costliest drugs.
- As of January 1, 2023, cost-sharing for a month’s supply of each covered insulin product is capped at $35 per month for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage through a Part D plan or their Medicare Advantage plan.
- As of July 2023, people with Medicare who access their insulin through Part B and take insulin delivered through a pump also pay no more than $35 per month for each covered insulin product.
- A variety of Medicare prescription drug plans cover insulin. Help may be available for people with Medicare who take insulin, and we encourage them to call 1-800-MEDICARE if they need assistance in exploring options to find the plan that works best for them. Local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIPs) can also help with insurance plan counseling. Find your local SHIP.
- Certain-recommended preventive adult vaccines are free of charge for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage as of January 1, 2023.
- Adult vaccines that are covered under Medicare Part D include: RSV, shingles; tetanus/diphtheria (Td); tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis – also known as whopping cough (Tdap); hepatitis A; and hepatitis B.
- Medicare Part B already covers flu, pneumococcal, COVID-19, and certain other vaccines without cost-sharing for people with Medicare.
- State Medicaid programs are now required to cover certain recommended approved adult vaccinations, without cost-sharing, for many adults in Medicaid.
- In 2024, some people with Medicare prescription drug coverage who have high drug costs now have their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at about $3,500. In just the first quarter of 2024, over 260,000 people benefited from this cap in the catastrophic coverage phase, meaning they will pay no more out-of-pocket through the remainder of the year.
- In 2025, out-of-pocket costs will be lowered even more, with a $2,000 annual cap on those costs in Medicare Part D.
- Beginning in 2025, the new drug law requires all Medicare prescription drug plans (Medicare Part D plans) — including both standalone Medicare prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage — to offer enrollees the option to pay out-of-pocket prescription drug costs in the form of capped monthly installment payments instead of all at once at the pharmacy.
- Because of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, quality health care coverage continues to be more affordable than ever before
- In 2025, four out of five HealthCare.gov enrollees will continue to find a plan for $10 or less after financial help.
- Last year, a record-breaking 21 million people signed up for marketplace coverage.
- Open enrollment runs from November 1 through January 15 in most states. Sign up for a plan by December 15 in order to have coverage that begins January 1.
- Go to HealthCare.gov to sign up for a health plan, or find free, local enrollment assistance.
- On August 15, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that it has reached agreements for new, lower prices for all 10 drugs selected for negotiations. These negotiated drugs are some of the most expensive and most frequently dispensed drugs in the Medicare program and are used to treat conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The new prices will go into effect for people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage beginning January 1, 2026.
- If the new prices had been in effect last year, Medicare would have saved an estimated $6 billion, or approximately 22 percent, across the 10 selected drugs. These negotiated prices range from 38 to 79 percent discounts off of list prices. About nine million people with Medicare use at least one of the 10 drugs selected for negotiation. People with Medicare prescription drug coverage are expected to see aggregated estimated savings of $1.5 billion in their personal out-of-pocket costs in 2026. For more detailed information about the negotiated prices please see the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Negotiated Prices Fact Sheet.
- The new drug law gives Medicare the authority to negotiate prescription drug prices directly for the first time in history.
- In 2023, CMS through HHS began the negotiation process by announcing the first 10 drugs covered under Medicare Part D selected for the first cycle of negotiation.
The selected drug list for the first round of negotiation is:
- Eliquis
- Jardiance
- Xarelto
- Januvia
- Farxiga
- Entresto
- Enbrel
- Imbruvica
- Stelara
- NovoLog/Fiasp*
*Includes Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch, Fiasp PenFill, NovoLog, NovoLog FlexPen, and NovoLog PenFill
These drugs treat conditions such as blood clots, diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, autoimmune diseases, and chronic kidney disease.
- On October 3, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that all 10 drug companies whose drugs were selected for price negotiation signed agreements to participate in those negotiations. Negotiations will go through 2024, and any agreed-upon negotiated prices will become effective beginning in 2026. [Link to press release]
- Total Medicare spending for the selected drugs was $46.4 billion in 2022, which represents about 19 percent of total Part D gross spending in 2022. Annual total gross spending per enrollee was highest for Imbruvica ($129,000) and lowest for NovoLog/Fiasp* ($3,300) in 2022.
- Overall, total Part D gross spending for the 10 selected drugs more than doubled from 2018 to 2022, going from about $20 billion to about $46 billion, an increase of 134 percent. The rate of growth in spending for these 10 drugs is more than 3 times as fast as for all Part D drugs over the same time period.
- Medicare enrollees taking the 10 drugs covered under Part D selected for negotiation paid a total of $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2022 for these drugs.
- Manufacturers will need to pay rebates to Medicare if they increase their prices for certain drugs at a rate that exceeds the rate of inflation. The first rebate period began October 1, 2022 for drugs covered under Part D and January 1, 2023 for drugs covered under Part B.
- Some people with Medicare may pay a lower coinsurance for some Part B drugs if the drugs’ prices increase faster than the rate of inflation. Since April 1, 2023, CMS has announced Part B drugs with reduced coinsurances on a quarterly basis.
- The Extra Help or Low-Income Subsidy Program helps with drug costs for Part D enrollees with limited income and resources.
- Starting January 2024, the Inflation Reduction Act expanded the program to cover more drug costs for people with limited resources:
- Nearly 300,000 low-income people with Medicare currently enrolled in the Extra Help program will be newly eligible for expanded benefits, including no deductible, no premiums, and fixed, lowered copayments for certain medications.
- An additional 3 million people could benefit from the Extra Help program now but aren’t currently enrolled.
- Now, everyone who qualifies for Extra Help will pay $0 in premiums, $0 in deductibles, and a reduced amount for generic and brand-name drugs.
- Some people who already receive help paying for their Medicare costs are automatically enrolled in Extra Help, but that’s not true for everyone.
- Visit Social Security online at SSA.gov/extrahelp or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to see if you are eligible.
- Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIPs) at shiphelp.org or call 1-877-839-2675 for assistance with the Low-Income Subsidy application.
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE to learn more about lowering drug costs.
- Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at shiphelp.org or call 1-877-839-2675 to get free personalized health insurance counseling.
Social Media Sharables
This section features a collection of ready-to-use graphics and engaging social media posts crafted to help you spread awareness and amplify the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: For decades, Americans have spent more on Rx drugs than people in other countries — paying two to three times more for the same drugs. The President’s new lower cost prescription drug law is making changes to #Medicare so that millions of people with Medicare will spend less!
Graphic Alt-text: The Inflation Reduction Act is:
Capping out-of-pocket costs for Rx drugs covered under Part D
Improving coverage of certain drugs including insulin and vaccines
Expanding eligibility for financial assistance
Improving Part D benefits
Allowing Medicare to negotiate with participating drug companies for certain drugs covered under Medicare
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: The President’s new lower cost prescription drug law makes improvements to #Medicare that will expand benefits, lower drug costs, keep Rx drug plan premiums stable, & improve the sustainability of the Medicare program for future generations!
Graphic Alt-text: The President’s new lower cost prescription drug law is bringing relief to seniors and people with disabilities
$35 monthly cap per Medicare-covered insulin prescription
Certain recommended preventive adult vaccines are free– includes shingles & Tdap, and RSV vaccines
Lower prices through direct negotiations with drug companies for certain drugs covered under Medicare
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: DYK: More than 8 million Americans rely on insulin to manage their blood glucose levels? Thanks to the #InflationReductionAct, people with #Medicare Part D have a $35/month cap on insulin
Graphic Alt-text: Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act:
All Medicare covered insulin is no more than $35/MONTH
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: Thanks to the #InflationReductionAct, if you have #MedicarePart B & take insulin delivered through a pump, you’ll pay no more than $35/mo.
Graphic Alt-text: The Inflation Reduction Act & Medicare
Save money for the things you love! Medicare Part B enrollees pay no more than $35/ Month for insulin delivered through a pump
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: DYK you could be missing out on benefits from Medicare's Extra Help Program? Qualified enrollees have a $0 premium, deductible, and receive a discount on generic and name brand drugs.
Graphic Alt-text: Do you qualify for Medicare’s Extra Help program?
Don’t miss out on potential benefits.
Visit LowerDrugCosts.gov to learn more.
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: President Biden is delivering on his promise to lower prescription drug costs! Through the #InflationReductionAct, the President’s New Lower Cost Prescription Drug Law, certain recommended preventive adult vaccines are free for people with #Medicare.
Graphic Alt-text: The Inflation Reduction Act
Certain recommended preventive adult vaccines are FREE for people with Medicare Rx drug coverage
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: The Biden-Harris Administration has made expanding access to health insurance & lowering health care costs for America’s families a top priority. Now certain recommended adult vaccines are free of charge for people with #Medicare Rx drug coverage
Graphic Alt-text: The Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare
Certain recommended preventive adult vaccines are FREE with Medicare Rx Drug Coverage
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: The #InflationReductionAct is working to lower drug prices and we have reached our fourth milestone in the negotiation process with drug companies.
Follow along the timeline to see what step is next
Graphic Alt-text:
Aug 2023
HHS announced first 10 drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation.
Feb 2024
HHS sent initial offers to participating drug companies.
March 2024
All participating drug companies responded with a counteroffer.
Sept 2024
CMS will publish any negotiated prices that are agreed upon for the 10 selected drugs.
Jan 2026
Any negotiated prices will take effect.
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: Medicare enrollee who take one of the 10 selected drugs can soon expect to see lower prices. The #InflationReductionAct is putting dollars back in the pockets of American taxpayers!
Graphic Alt-text: Negotiations have ended, and these 10 drugs have NEW, LOWER PRICES.
Eliquis
Jardiance
Xarelto
Januvia
Farxiga
Entresto
Enbrel
Imbruvica
Stelara
NovoLog/Fiasp*
*Includes Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch, Fiasp PenFill, NovoLog, NovoLog FlexPen, and NovoLog PenFill
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: The Biden-Harris Administration has made lowering health care costs for America’s families a top priority & now thanks to the #InflationReductionAct drug companies that increase their prices faster than the rate of inflation will pay rebates back to the #Medicare Trust Fund.
Graphic Alt-text: The President’s New Lower Cost Prescription Drug Law
Requires drug companies to pay rebates to Medicare if their prices for certain drugs increase faster than inflation
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Post Copy - Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn: 54 #Medicare Part B drugs will have lowered coinsurance rates from October 1 - December 31 thanks to the #InflationReductionAct. #LowerDrugCosts
Graphic Alt-text:
Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program reduced coinsurance for Medicare Part B drugs with savings up to $3,854 per day depending on their coverage.
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These postcards have been designed to educate and spread the word about the Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare.
Postcard: President Biden’s Lower Cost Prescription Drug Law
Postcard: Save On Your Medicare Drug Costs With Extra Help
Postcard: Save Money On Your Medicare-covered Insulin
Postcard: Medicare Covers More Vaccines For Free!
These drop-in articles can be used to spread awareness about the Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare.
Low-Income Subsidy (Extra Help) Program article
Medicare Part B and D Insulin Benefit article
Medicare Part D Vaccine Benefit article
Medicare Part D Out-of-Pocket Costs: Catastrophic Cap