As a Medicare recipient, you would have likely noticed the surge in your Part B premiums for this year. That jump in premium was linked to a decision by the Federal Drug Administration approving for use a controversial and expensive Alzheimer’s disease medication: Aduhelm.
Now that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has decided to only cover the drug in certain instances, the agency anticipates reducing the monthly Medicare Part B premium for the 2023 policy year. If it goes this route, it would dial back one of the largest premium increases in Medicare Part B history.
When setting rates for 2022, the CMS assumed that Medicare would be bearing the brunt of the $56,000 a year price tag for Aduhelm and that many Medicare beneficiaries would be accessing the pricey medication.
As a result of that assumption in addition to other factors, such as rising health care prices and utilization and Congressional action, the CMS increased the standard Medicare Part B monthly premium for most seniors to $170.10 — up a whopping 14.5% from $148.50 in 2021. Medicare Part B May See Premium Decrease in 2023