MedPAC Released Its Annual Medicare Data Book, the Program's Most Comprehensive Spending Snapshot

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission published its July 2026 Data Book, the commission's annual compilation of standardized Medicare spending and program data. Published each July, the data book is one of the most cited reference documents in Medicare policy. It covers eleven subject areas: national health care and Medicare spending, beneficiary demographics, supplemental coverage and financial liability, dually eligible beneficiaries, alternative payment models, hospital care, post-acute services, physician and ambulatory services, drug expenditures, Medicare Advantage, and other services.

MedPAC issues three major products annually. The March report to Congress contains payment recommendations. The June report examines specific policy questions. The July data book provides the underlying numbers that inform both. All three are posted at no cost on medpac.gov, with individual sections also available as separate downloads.

The July 2026 edition arrives as policymakers work through significant Medicare changes: the first full year of negotiated drug prices, new payment rules across care settings for fiscal year 2027, and recent reconciliation legislation. The data book makes no policy recommendations but presents the standardized measurements that Congressional staff, researchers, and advocacy organizations use to evaluate proposals and track trends over time.