Top 10 Prescription Drugs That Cost Medicare the Most
AARP research finds brand-name manufacturers still increasing prices
1. Eliquis
Use: A blood thinner for people with atrial fibrillation (A-fib)
Medicare spending in 2020: $9.9 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 2,641,941
January 2022 price increase: 6 percent
2. Revlimid
Use: To treat cancer
Medicare spending in 2020: $5.4 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 43,747
January 2022 price increase: 4.5 percent
3. Xarelto
Use: A blood thinner for people with atrial fibrillation (A-fib)
Medicare spending in 2020: $4.7 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 1,184,718
January 2022 price increase: 4.9 percent
4. Januvia
Use: To treat diabetes
Medicare spending in 2020: $3.9 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 934,686
January 2022 price increase: 5 percent
5. Trulicity
Use: To treat diabetes
Medicare spending in 2020: $3.3 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 497,327
January 2022 price increase: 5 percent
6. Imbruvica
Use: To treat cancer
Medicare spending in 2020: $3 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 26,847
January 2022 price increase: 7.4 percent
7. Jardiance
Use: To treat diabetes
Medicare spending in 2020: $2.4 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 594,859
January 2022 price increase: 4 percent
8. Humira (Cf) pen
Use: To treat rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis
Medicare spending in 2020: $2.2 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 42,406
January 2022 price increase: 7.4 percent
9. Ibrance
Use: To treat cancer
Medicare spending in 2020: $2.1 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 21,394
January 2022 price increase: 6.9 percent
10. Symbicort
Use: To treat asthma
Medicare spending in 2020: $2 billion
Number of beneficiaries: 1,017,530
January 2022 price increase: 2 percent
