How did Aduhelm affect Medicare premiums?
CMS cited Aduhelm as the main driver of a 15% rise in 2022 Medicare Part B premiums, attributing roughly half the increase to planning for the drug — showing how a single high-priced approval can raise costs for all Medicare beneficiaries.
Because Aduhelm is an infusion given in a doctor's office, it is paid under Medicare Part B, which is funded partly through premiums paid by beneficiaries. When CMS set 2022 premiums, it projected a 15% rise and cited the potential inclusion of Aduhelm as the main reason; regulators attributed about half of the increase to contingency planning for the drug.
After Biogen's price cut and Medicare's decision to restrict coverage, the expected spending never materialised. HHS said it could not change premiums mid-year but would pass the savings on through lower premiums in 2023. For critics, the episode showed how a single high-priced drug approved on uncertain evidence could raise costs for tens of millions of older Americans, including those who would never use it.