The COVID-19 pandemic, which has quickly changed many aspects of everyday life around the globe, could also spark changes in American consumers’ behavior that provide long-term savings for payers and PBMs, experts tell AIS Health.

According to a list compiled by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), payers have made a variety of changes to their prescription drug benefits as part of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ✦ Payers that have waived early refill limits include: Anthem Inc., AvMed Inc., 36 regional affiliates of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield […]

With the federal government consumed by responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the possibility of Congress passing drug-pricing legislation — once a top priority for the Trump administration — might seem dim. But analysts say it’s very possible that something like an overhaul of the Medicare Part D benefit, upon which there is bipartisan agreement, could still make its way into legislation that federal lawmakers pass in the coming weeks or months to address the ongoing public health crisis.

A recently approved brand drug for bipolar disorder will have little impact on how health plans cover these medications, experts say. Health plans will continue to encourage the use of less expensive generic bipolar drugs.

by Jinghong Chen Since the novel coronavirus started to spread globally, a mix of legacy pharmaceutical companies and small startups have been scrambling to develop a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. While developing a vaccine would take at least 12 to 18 months, drugmakers and researchers are testing existing […]

Recently, CMS unveiled a new program to reduce Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin (RDB 3/12/20, p. 8). The voluntary model aims to lower the cost of a 30-day supply to “no more than $35” and reduce annual insulin costs by an average of $446 per person. Industry experts say the program, called the Part D Senior Savings Model, should save patients money but will have a limited impact on overall drug spending.