Department of Health and Human Services highlights benefits of Inflation Reduction Act for Delawareans

DELAWARE – Health officials say the Inflation Reduction Act has meant serious savings for seniors and Medicare recipients, with the Federal Health and Humane Services Department saying 63,000 Delawareans will save an annual average of 449 dollars on their medication.

HSS says the bill is also helping businesses that keep services available like smaller-scale pharmacies in rural Delaware.

“They are looking at how they can help support physicians and provide a level of advice and care to their patients when they come in for prescription drugs,” said Health & Human Services Executive Region 3 Director Melissa Herd.

And more savings are coming, as a list of medications that will see costs capped at 2 thousand dollars a month is set to be released later this year, the first set will be announced on September 1st.

“They will continue to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies and drug companies to make sure that we are balancing affordability. Of course, with innovation, and people in Delaware and across the country will start to see savings in 2026,” Herd said.

DHSS says while they do not yet have up-to-date stats on savings state-wide, they do estimate Medicare Part D recipients would have saved an additional 75 dollars if the program had started in 2021.

As well as state-wide savings of nearly 3 million dollars in out-of-pocket costs on insulin had the cap been put in place starting in 2020.