Experts on U.S. Drug Prices and Health Insurance Subsidies Can Address Impact of Inflation Reduction Act

August 8, 2022

RAND Corporation experts can address the potential health care impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act that was passed by the U.S. Senate on August 7. Those topics include the implications of allowing Medicare to negotiate prices directly with drug manufacturers for some medications, capping Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs, and continuing enhanced health insurance subsidies for people who buy insurance through Affordable Care Act exchanges.

• Andrew Mulcahy is a senior health economist who has published research about insulin prices, U.S. prescription drug prices compared to those in other high-income nations, and Medicare payment for drugs.
• Erin Audrey Taylor is a senior policy researcher with expertise in Medicare Part D. She has studied capping out-of-pocket drug spending in ACA health plans and leads the evaluation of the Part D Senior Savings Model, which is looking at the effect of capping insulin copays at $35 per month.
• Christine Eibner is a senior economist who has extensively studied health insurance markets created under the federal Affordable Care Act. Recent work has detailed the importance of enhanced subsidies to maintaining enrollment among the privately insured.