Experts: USPS Slowdown Is Unlikely to Disrupt Most Rx Fills
The recent, sudden disruption of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) deliveries has caused concern about people receiving their medications later than they normally would. While news reports and statements by lawmakers indic...
UnitedHealth Drops Descovy as Generic Shakes Up PrEP Class
UnitedHealthcare is dropping coverage in its commercial plan formularies for Gilead Sciences, Inc.’s HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication Descovy (emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide), steering patie...
Large Employers Warm Up To Point-of-Sale Rebates
As the debate continues over the merits of overhauling the prescription drug rebate system, large employers — which traditionally have retained drug discounts that PBMs negotiate with manufacturers — appear to b...
Part D Base Beneficiary Premium Will Grow Slightly in 2021
The monthly Medicare Part D base beneficiary premium for 2021 will be $33.06, up from $32.74 in 2020, according to recent CMS projections. Meanwhile, the Part D national average monthly bid amount dropped slightly, ...
With Ride-Hailing in Trouble, Uber Makes Move to Deliver Prescriptions
Uber Technologies Inc. is expanding its health care business to include last-mile prescription delivery through a partnership with NimbleRx, a California health care startup. The new joint service will start with pi...
News Briefs
✦ When the size, shape, color and markings on their prescription pills change without explanation, it can hamper patients’ medication adherence, according to a study published on Aug. 12 in the American Journal ...
COVID-19 Crisis Spurs Increased Interest in Home Care
As visits to hospitals and outpatient clinics have become sources of anxiety for patients worried about exposure to the novel coronavirus, plans and providers alike have begun to make major investments in home care....
Insurer PBMs Eye GPOs as Alternative Purchasing Mechanism
CVS Health Corp. has launched a group purchasing organization called Zinc Health Services as part of its Caremark business, joining a small but growing group of PBMs that are turning to GPOs as an alternative way to...
Anthem, Cigna, CVS Say PBMs Are Weathering COVID-19
For PBMs, 2020 has been far from business as usual, given the myriad ways the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how people interact with the health care system. However, during their second-quarter earnings conference c...
Implementation Could Be Tough For Rebate Executive Order
On July 24, the Trump administration released three executive orders, which call for regulations allowing drugs to be imported from other countries, requiring Federally Qualified Health Centers to make insulin and e...