Antibody Drug Conjugates Are Worth Watching, OptumRx Says
In its newest Drug Pipeline Insights Report, OptumRx highlighted recently approved or soon-to-be-approved drugs that might significantly impact payers and patients. In its latest quarterly report, though, the United...
Studies Paint Nuanced Picture of Insulin Out-of-Pocket Costs
Medicare enrollees this fall will be able to sign up for prescription plans that cap copayments for insulin at $35 a month. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation analysis shows that average annual out-of-pocket spending...
Pricey Cures Pose Reinsurance, Cost-Sharing Challenges
Genomic, curative drugs for chronic and terminal diseases are perhaps the most exciting new treatments in medicine. But even though these highly tailored therapies come to market with the potential to save costs for...
News Briefs
✦ This month, the federal government’s supply of remdesivir will run out, CNN reported. The antiviral drug is a palliative treatment for COVID-19 with documented clinical effectiveness, and is so far the only tr...
With One Drug-Supply Issue in Check, Another May Be Looming
While the COVID-19 pandemic led to worrying spikes in demand for certain drugs back in March and April — spurring PBMs to swiftly establish dispensing limits — that particular storm appears to have passed. Howev...
Scarcity, Geography Will Shape COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
The rollout of a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is an unprecedented logistical challenge. So will be deciding who gets it: experts say that the initial vaccine supply will not be large enoug...
About 1,750 Medicare Rx Plans Join Fixed-Insulin-Copay Demo
The Trump administration on May 26 shared new details about a program that offers diabetic seniors access to a variety of insulin products for a maximum $35-per-month copay.
More than 88 health insurers offering ...
Navitus Achieves Double-Digit Savings for New Clients in 2019
Navitus Health Solutions, a PBM that touts a 100% rebate pass-through model and a lowest-net-cost formulary, says it is seeing success in moderating total net cost per-member per-month (PMPM), particularly for new c...
CVS Reports Lowest Drug Trend in Years
CVS Health Corp.’s 2019 drug trend report shows a 1.4% overall trend, the lowest in five years, and said 41% of its commercial clients saw negative trend. Specialty drugs accounted for almost half of all spending ...
News Briefs
✦ A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the deepening economic crisis has made some patients struggle to afford their prescription medication, among other essentials. According to the poll, 8% of Ameri...