Medicare Drug Focus reports that new HIV drugs Atripla and Prezista have been quickly adopted by Part D plans. Some have flat co-pays while others have special tier payments until out of pocket costs exceed the catastrophic level.
Two points: Neither drug are on the VA formulary. In fact they are not even available on an off-formulary fashion for at least a year..
Second, if the Dems have their way, patients would have almost no commercial information about such new medicines. Zero. Zip. Is it ethical to impose a gag order on companies that want to tell patients about a medicine that is a critical part of a HIV drug cocktail make sense? What about a new drug for Parkinson's or Alzheimer's or cancer? How about an orphan drug that prevents a kid from dying from a rare metabolic disorder? Should it be against the law for a company to tell parents about such medicine? Put another way, who would trust an HMO to let people know about a new and expensive medication without prompting?
Two points: Neither drug are on the VA formulary. In fact they are not even available on an off-formulary fashion for at least a year..
Second, if the Dems have their way, patients would have almost no commercial information about such new medicines. Zero. Zip. Is it ethical to impose a gag order on companies that want to tell patients about a medicine that is a critical part of a HIV drug cocktail make sense? What about a new drug for Parkinson's or Alzheimer's or cancer? How about an orphan drug that prevents a kid from dying from a rare metabolic disorder? Should it be against the law for a company to tell parents about such medicine? Put another way, who would trust an HMO to let people know about a new and expensive medication without prompting?
