Nationwide Survey:  Nearly Nine of Ten Seniors are Satisfied with their Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage

Morning Consult Poll Shows 85 percent of Part D Enrollees Believe Their Drug Plan Offers Good Value 

WASHINGTON – A nationwide survey of Americans 65 and older who are enrolled in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans shows that the program remains enormously popular.  Among poll respondents, 87 percent said they were satisfied with their Medicare prescription drug coverage and 85 percent said that their Part D plan provided good value.

The survey of 2,000 seniors was performed by Morning Consult and commissioned by the Medicare Today coalition.  Mary R. Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council and chair of Medicare Today, said the survey results underscore the importance of maintaining the fundamental structure of the Part D program.

“Over a decade ago, Congress fundamentally changed Medicare by adding prescription drug coverage and decided to utilize the power of competition and consumer choice to drive value and affordability.  Time has proven that judgment to be the correct one,” Ms. Grealy said.  “Seniors like this program.  The survey tells us it has given them greater peace of mind and that their lives are better off today than before they had Part D coverage.  We should always work to improve the program while recognizing that the use of private sector negotiations to contain costs is working.”

Ms. Grealy also pointed toward the recent announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services that the average basic premium cost for Part D plans is expected to drop in 2020, which would be the third consecutive year costs have gone down.

Other highlights from the survey included:

• 84 percent of respondents said their monthly Part D premiums are affordable.
• 76 percent said their out-of-pocket costs are reasonable.
• 93 percent said their Part D plan is convenient to use.
• 81 percent said it is important to them to have a variety of Part D prescription drug plans from which to choose.
• 88 percent said their prescription drug plan is delivering what it promised.

About Medicare Today

Medicare Today is a coalition of national and local organizations representing seniors, health care providers, employers, patients and consumer groups focused on providing beneficiaries with reliable information on the Medicare program and its benefits. Medicare Today was created by the Healthcare Leadership Council, an alliance of chief executives of the nation’s leading healthcare companies and organizations from all health sectors.