Premiums rose sharply in Medicare drug plans

Seven of the top 10 Medicare prescription drug plans (PDPs) saw a double-digit increase in premiums for 2013, according to an analysis by Avalere Health. The increases mean that several of the top 10 PDPs will lose eligibility for low-income subsidy beneficiaries in some U.S. regions, the study found. The release comes not long after the Kaiser Family Foundation found that health insurance premiums rose by a modest 4 percent this year on average, down from a 9-percent increase in 2011. Analysts attributed the drop to the slow economy.