Via Politico:
COMPETITION A FACTOR IN LOWER PART D COSTS- Though Democrats are loath to admit it, Medicare's prescription drug program has worked to slow rising out-of-pocket costs. On Thursday, HHS announced that premiums would be slightly lower in the drug program next year. Rather than focus on the cost data, federal health officials instead redirected attention to a raft of new initiatives and savings created under the ACA. Consider it a case of good news, poorly timed. As Congress continues to search for ways to drive down the nation's financial deficit, the president and other party leaders have pushed to a proposal to give Medicare more negotiating power with drugmakers. Critics of such a proposal counter that the current Part D structure is working.
