New Policy Paper Discourages Non-Medical Switching for Asthma Patients
Treating asthma is not a one-size-fits-all exercise, as patients and clinicians well know. So why do some health plan policies suggest otherwise? The question drives a new policy brief from the Institute for Patient Access.
2018 Cardiovascular Health Policy Summit
On May 15, 2018, the Institute for Patient Access convened its inaugural Cardiovascular Health Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Patients, advocates, clinicians, Capitol Hill staff and government representatives used the day to explore how policies impact cardiovascular care across the country. The day-long event was co-hosted by the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health […]
IfPA Paper Explains How New Co-pay Coupon Rules Hurt Patients
“Not everyone can afford the medication they need,” opens a new policy brief from the Institute for Patient Access. Co-pay coupons are one source of financial support for patients. Issued by drug manufacturers, co-pay coupons reduce patients’ out-of-pocket cost. They also help patients meet their annual deductible.
Final ICER Report Leaves Cystic Fibrosis Community Uneasy
Economists at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review advise a whopping 77 percent price discount on new CFTR modulators for cystic fibrosis, according to a final evidence report. The drugs can “substantially improve patient health outcomes,” the group concedes, but their prices exceed ICER’s cost-effectiveness threshold. One manufacturer has called ICER’s analysis “a sham.”
Lower Drug Prices Aren’t Helping Patients
First one drug manufacturer, then another, has reported that net prices for their medications dropped last year. And that’s good news for patients, right? Well, it all depends.
Comments on Draft Scoping Document for Severe Asthma Therapies
As noted in ICER’s scoping document, uncontrolled asthma is a substantial problem that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, afflicts 38.4 percent of children with asthma and 50 percent of adults with asthma. It is not clear from the scoping document, however, that ICER will adequately incorporate into its analysis several key issues associated with uncontrolled asthma.
What President Trump’s Drug Pricing Plan Means for Cancer Patients
As the global cancer community convenes for the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, one question looms large: What will President Donald Trump’s blueprint to lower drug prices mean for patient access? Especially for cancer patients, who may take several medications or live on a fixed income?
New Paper Explains How Barriers, Cost Hinder Diabetes Care
Diabetes is becoming more common. But access to appropriate care for people living with diabetes? Not so much. So explains a new white paper from the Institute for Patient Access.
Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month: A Time to Stop the Stigma
Many people think they know Tourette syndrome. It’s the person who blurts out foul words at inopportune times, like what you see on sitcoms or in movies. In reality, this particular vocal tic is rare. But the stereotype of people living with Tourette syndrome is unfortunately common.
How Physicians View the 340B Drug Pricing Program
The 340B Drug Pricing Program was designed to encourage health care facilities to provide care for uninsured or underinsured patients. The program works by providing facilities a significant discount on prescription drugs in exchange for their treatment of indigent patients. But whom does 340B really benefit? Has it fulfilled its original intent? And how do […]
