International Drug Pricing

In November 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Program; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly proposed rule.

ASPE contracted with RAND Health Care to carry out three studies analyzing data on U.S. prescription drug prices and availability in comparison to drug prices and availability in other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. In 2022, U.S. prices across all drugs (brands and generics) were nearly 2.78 times as high as prices in the comparison countries. U.S.

Key FindingsPolicy discussion surrounding U.S. prescription drug prices focuses on whether prices in the United States are too high or appropriate relative to the benefits that they offer to patients.

Drug shortages are a persistent public health problem in the United States and in other countries. Shortages can have important implications for the health care systems and pharmacies that purchase, store, and dispense drugs and for the patients who rely on the availability of drugs to treat and prevent disease.

The September 13, 2020 Executive Order on Lowering Drug Prices by Putting America First declared, “It is the policy of the United States that the Medicare program should not pay more for costly Part B or Part D prescription drugs or biological products than the most-favored-nation price.” The Most Favored Nation (MFN) Model issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on No

Insulin prices have increased dramatically over the past decade in the United States. This report presents results from international price comparisons of insulins using a price index approach.