Your Guide to Medicare's 2026 Prescription Drug Discounts

If you’ve heard that some Medicare prescription costs are set to decrease in 2026, you heard right. A new government program is making some of the most common medications more affordable. We’ll walk you through exactly what’s changing, list the first drugs with lower prices, and explain how to check if your prescriptions are included.

Understanding the New Medicare Drug Price Program

For years, prescription drug costs have been a major concern for many Americans, especially those on a fixed income. In response, the government passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included a landmark provision: for the first time ever, Medicare has the power to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers.

This new authority is called the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Its goal is to lower out-of-pocket costs for millions of seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. The program targets certain high-expenditure, single-source drugs that don’t have generic or biosimilar competition.

The process is gradual. The first round of negotiations has already happened, and the new, lower prices for an initial group of 10 drugs will take effect on January 1, 2026. More drugs will be added to the negotiation program in the years to follow, expanding the potential for savings. This change applies to medications covered under Medicare Part D, which is the prescription drug benefit for millions of beneficiaries.

The First 10 Drugs with Lower Prices in 2026

The core of the new program is the list of specific medications that will have newly negotiated prices. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the first 10 drugs selected for negotiation. If you take any of these medications, you may see lower costs starting in 2026.

Here is the official list of the first 10 drugs, along with what they are commonly prescribed for:

Eliquis: Used to prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation.
Jardiance: Used to treat type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease. It is also used for heart failure.
Xarelto: Another common medication used to prevent and treat blood clots. It can also reduce the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation.
Januvia: A prescription medicine used to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Farxiga: Used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is also used to treat certain types of heart failure and chronic kidney disease.
Entresto: A combination medication used to treat certain types of heart failure.
Enbrel: An injectable medication used to treat several autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
Imbruvica: A targeted therapy used to treat certain types of blood cancers, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma.
Stelara: Used to treat several autoimmune disorders, including plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Fiasp; Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill; NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog PenFill: These are different brand names and delivery systems for insulin aspart, a rapid-acting insulin used to manage blood sugar in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

How to Check if Your Prescriptions Are Included

The most direct way to see if you might benefit from these 2026 price changes is to check your own medication list against the 10 drugs listed above. Here is a simple, step-by-step approach to determine if you’ll be affected.

Step 1: Gather Your Prescription Information

Make a list of all the prescription medications you currently take. You can find this information on your prescription bottles, your pharmacy records, or by asking your doctor for a complete list. Be sure to write down the exact brand name of each drug.

Step 2: Compare Your List with the Negotiation List

Carefully review the list of 10 drugs provided in the section above. Compare it side-by-side with your personal medication list. If you see one of your prescriptions on the list, you are likely to be impacted by the new negotiated prices in 2026.

Step 3: Talk to Your Doctor or Pharmacist

Your healthcare providers are your best resource. If you believe one of your drugs is on the list, schedule a conversation with your doctor or speak with your pharmacist. They can confirm the details and discuss what this might mean for your treatment plan and budget. They can also help clarify any confusion between brand names and generic names.

Step 4: Stay Informed for Future Additions

This is just the beginning. More drugs will be selected for negotiation in the coming years. The government plans to negotiate prices for up to 15 more Part D drugs for 2027, and even more in 2028 and beyond. Keep an eye on official announcements from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to see new lists as they are released.

More Cost-Saving Changes for Medicare Beneficiaries

The drug price negotiation is just one part of a larger effort to make healthcare more affordable. The Inflation Reduction Act introduced several other key changes that are already helping or will soon help Medicare beneficiaries.

A Cap on Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs: Starting in 2025, there will be a new $2,000 annual cap on what you have to pay out-of-pocket for your Part D prescription drugs. This will provide significant financial protection for people with very high drug costs.
$35 Monthly Cap on Insulin: For Medicare beneficiaries who use insulin, monthly out-of-pocket costs are now capped at $35 for each covered insulin product. This has been a major relief for millions of people with diabetes.
Free Recommended Vaccines: All adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), such as the shingles vaccine, are now available at no cost to people with Medicare Part D.

These changes, combined with the new drug price negotiations, represent some of the most significant improvements to the Medicare program in years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this new program apply to Medicare Advantage plans? Yes. If your Medicare Advantage plan includes prescription drug coverage (an MA-PD plan), it must offer the new, lower negotiated prices for the drugs on the list. These changes apply to all Medicare Part D plans, whether they are standalone or part of a Medicare Advantage package.

When will we know the exact new prices for these 10 drugs? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will publish the final negotiated prices for the first 10 drugs by September 1, 2024. These prices will then go into effect on January 1, 2026.

What if my medication is not on this list? If your drugs are not on this initial list, their prices will not be affected by this specific negotiation program in 2026. However, your drug could be selected for negotiation in a future year. It is always a good practice to review your Medicare Part D plan every year during the Open Enrollment period (October 15 to December 7) to ensure you have the best coverage for your specific needs and prescriptions.