Medicare will now pay for drugs before patients pay their deductibles

Medicare will now let patients spread out their drug costs over a year, instead of paying a large deductible all at once. This means patients will pay a predictable monthly amount for their medications, rather than facing huge bills early in the year.

For years, many Medicare patients faced a 'deductible cliff' at the start of the year, where they had to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out-of-pocket before their insurance kicked in. This often led to patients delaying or skipping necessary medications. This rule change smooths out those costs, making it easier for patients to afford their prescriptions consistently throughout the year.