By NextBestFitRetail prescription drugs
Drugs dispensed through retail and mail-order pharmacies, net of manufacturer rebates. Excludes drugs administered in hospitals and clinics (those sit inside hospital and physician spending).
Amount
$467.0B
per year
Per resident, per year
$1,369
÷ 341.1M people
Per household, per year
$3,533
÷ 132.2M households
How it is built
Out of pocket $55B + Private health insurance $172.1B + Medicare $162.8B + Medicaid $53.9B + Other insurance programs (CHIP, DoD, VA) $16.9B + Other third-party payers & programs $6.3B
Part of: National health expenditures ($5,278.6B, 2024)
Details
| Out of pocket | $55B |
| Private health insurance | $172.1B |
| Medicare | $162.8B |
| Medicaid | $53.9B |
| Other insurance programs (CHIP, DoD, VA) | $16.9B |
| Other third-party payers & programs | $6.3B |
Problems this cost relates to
Sources: CMS Office of the Actuary (2025)