AHRQ data shows jump in CMS Rx spending

The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has published data showing a massive increase in Medicare outpatient payments for  prescription medicines, up from $5.9 billion in 2005 to $44.3 billion in  the following year. The figures confirm the effect of the introduction  of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit in May 2006  (Marketletters passim). The AHRQ also estimated that the eligible  population saw the following shifts in coverage: Medicare's outgoings  rose from 7% to 45%; Medicaid's fell from 15.5% to 1%; and private  insurers' dropped from 25% to 16.5%.