![]() Vivent specializes in preventing and treating HIV, and the drugs patients need to keep the virus in check can run to thousands of dollars a month, he said. Matt Pagnotti, state and local government relations director at Vivent Health, said the use of copay accumulators is a “growing issue” for the center’s patients, and about half of individual insurance plans and at least that many employer-sponsored plans use an accumulator. Lawmakers opted not to include that exception. When more patients take the expensive drugs, that raises costs for everyone, he said. Patrick Boyle, who represents the Pharmacy Care Management Association trade group, asked lawmakers to carve out brand-name drugs with a generic equivalent, to give patients an incentive to choose the cheaper version. No more free test kits, less data: What the end of the COVID public health emergency means in Colorado Without assistance from the manufacturer, it’s difficult for her to pay those costs and continue with her medication, she said. Stacy Hodgson, who has multiple sclerosis, told a Colorado Senate committee considering the bill in March that the drugs she takes cost about $132,000, and her insurance plans have had out-of-pocket maximums anywhere between $4,000 and $8,000 in recent years. ![]() Jared Polis’ office hasn’t said if he intends to sign it. The bill easily passed both houses, but Gov. Senate Bill 23-195 requires health insurance plans to count drug coupons, as well as contributions from charities and patient assistance funds, toward their customers’ deductibles. That means that once the patient has used up whatever assistance is available that year, they’re still on the hook to pay whatever share of costs their plan requires until they reach their out-of-pocket maximum.ĭrug companies accuse insurers of “double-dipping,” while insurance companies say the pharmaceutical manufacturers are pushing patients toward more-expensive drugs by eliminating the financial pain. In the last few years, more insurance plans have used “copay accumulators,” which don’t count those contributions toward their patients’ deductibles. The issue is drug coupons that cover patients’ share of the cost of expensive medications. Patients can get stuck in the middle when drug companies and insurers fight over profits, and a recently passed Colorado bill tries to get them out - while also delivering a win for the pharmaceutical manufacturers. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu ![]()
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