US Medicare recipients receive preliminary list of $2 generic drugs

BALTIMORE, Maryland: An initial list of 101 generic drugs available to those enrolled in the government's Medicare program for no more than $2 for a month's supply was released this week by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The list includes common prescriptions such as penicillin, metformin, lithium, and albuterol asthma inhalers, as well as drugs for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions.

Seeking feedback following the pilot launch, the agency said the program could start as early as January 2027.

CMS said the scheme wants to test whether a simplified approach to offering low-cost generic drugs can improve medication adherence.

There will be no need for prior authorization or quantity limits for these generic drugs on the sample list.

Axios first reported about the release of the sample list earlier on October 9.

The Medicare health program spends billions of dollars annually on drugs for more than 67 million people enrolled. It is a federal government health insurance program for millions of Americans aged 65 and older and the disabled.

It recently released new maximum prices for the first 10 high-cost prescription medicines negotiated under the Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act.