NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Millions of older adults on could face steeper monthly costs in 2027, after the Trump administration concludes a temporary subsidy program that has helped offset premiums for the past two years.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week announced it would , which was initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 to lower patients’ Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to effects of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
While federal officials insist the financial impact on Medicare beneficiaries will be minimal, the decision opens the Republican-led administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year. Voters have identified as a top concern, and many older adults, who tend to vote in high numbers, are on fixed incomes where every dollar counts. The roughly 25 million Americans with Medicare Part D plans will find out about their 2027 rates in the fall, when they are casting ballots in November’s elections.
Democrats slammed CMS’s move as part of a pattern of federal , alongside federal Medicaid cuts and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies that had reduced premium costs for working-age Americans in that program.
鈥淭he Trump administration is actively raising prescription drug costs for 25 million seniors,鈥� Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X in response to the news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. 鈥淗eartless, cruel, and completely by choice.鈥�
on Tuesday said ending the subsidy program would prevent billions of taxpayer dollars from being funneled to insurance companies. It cost the agency in 2026.
He said most Medicare beneficiaries would see less than a $10-per-month increase, and some would even see lower premiums than beforehand.
鈥淓very Medicare beneficiary still has access to low-cost plans, and we will continue to lower prescription drug prices for every American patient, from more MFN deals to our policy giving seniors access to ,鈥� he wrote on social media.
Part D beneficiaries paid an average of $36 a month this year for their premiums with the subsidies in place, according to the healthcare research nonprofit KFF. The subsidies offset the average premium by $16 in 2026, according to the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).
It’s not yet known how many Americans the change will effect, or how much more they’ll pay. Older Americans have the opportunity to shop for plans each year, and prices vary widely between them. CMS has said it will release information about next year’s premiums in September.
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