As curative cell and gene therapies become increasingly effective, discovering payment strategies to help patients pay for the life-saving treatments is an imperative undertaking, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimham writes in a recent commentary published on CNBC. "We now have within our grasp medicines […]
Coalition of Big Companies Look to Startup to Save on Drug Costs
A coalition of 40-plus large companies is planning to use an online startup in a bid to save on drug costs, according to a Bloomberg report. The Health Transformation Alliance, which includes IBM Corp., Verizon Communications Inc. and American Express Co., says it will use an online tool from Rx […]
Navigating High Insulin Costs
Some 6 million diabetic Americans receive insulin, with about 1.5 million with type 1 diabetes needing insulin to survive. Insulin prices, however, have seen a significant surge — to the tune of 240 percent — over the past decade, according to a Modern Healthcare Executive report. University of […]
CVS Data: Program Helps Cut Out-of-Pocket Costs
New data released by CVS Health shows the company's real-time benefits program can save CVS Caremark members about $120-$130 each prescription fill, according to a Drug Store News report. Using the real-time data, prescribers, CVS Health says, are switching to covered drugs 75 percent of the time […]
High Cost of Insulin Leads to Lethal Rationing
The price of insulin has more than doubled since 2012, and some people on the drug respond to the high costs by rationing their supply. This can have deadly consequences. Nicole Smith-Holt told NPR that her son, Alec Smith, died three days before he was due to get paid because he couldn't afford […]
PBMs Fees on Drugmakers Could Play Role in Drug Prices
Although rebates have earned a significant amount of blame for the high drug costs Americans face today, there may be a lesser-known driver, according to STAT. Some of the various charges pharmacy benefit managers make drugmakers pay are being described as another reason for rising drug costs, per […]
CVS: Program ‘Could Change Manufacturer Behavior’
CVS Caremark says its new program that allows clients to exclude coverage of some drugs with high launch prices could potentially reshape how drugmakers behave. According to The Hill, the PBM says the new program will utilize methods of analysis often seen in Europe, but not in America. "No one […]
Frakt Spotlights Hidden Costs of Medicare Part D
Medicare's prescription drug program, Medicare Part D, offers a number of plans from which to choose, high voluntary participation and mostly stagnant premium increases since the program's creation in 2006. What's the catch? Austin Frakt, with the V.A. Boston Healthcare System, in his recent write […]
State Governments Push for Solutions to High Drug Costs
While President Donald Trump's administration catches much of the spotlight in the fight against high drug prices, state governments are also working to implement their own strategies, according to a MedPage Today report. Nevada Sen. Yvanna Cansela, a Democrat, said during a briefing that 12 […]
AMCP Forum Spotlights Payment, Benefit Models for High-Cost Drugs
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy hosted a multi-stakeholder meeting last week in Baltimore at which attendees discussed some payment models health care payers could incorporate as high-cost treatments enter the market each year. The AMCP Partnership Forum, titled "Designing benefits and Payment […]
