Here’s the headline:
“OptumRx and UnitedHealthcare are expanding their innovative consumer point-of-sale prescription drug discount programs to apply to all new employer-sponsored plans, making medications more affordable and improving health outcomes.”
Translation: Lower out-of-pocket costs result in higher medication adherence rates. And this equals many good things – not the least of which is – better patient outcomes!
According to a new paper from the Progressive Policy Institute, Progressive Policy Institute on point of sale (POS) rebates:
* POS clarifies the true cost of prescription medications and allows consumers and physicians to make better cost-benefit trade-offs.
* POS reduces the incentive for companies to raise their list prices while offering bigger rebates to insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
* And, perhaps most important, passing the manufacturer rebates through to consumers helps the high spenders, who would be able to take better advantage of discounts and rebates.
Per the OptumRx/UnitedHealthcare press release, “UnitedHealthcare’s fully insured members at the point-of-sale; consumers already seeing average savings of $130 per eligible prescription in 2019” and “Programs strengthen prescription drug adherence by up to 16%, lead to improved patient health.”
Bravo. But this welcome and appropriate bragging begs the question – why are they still pushing patient-punitive measures such as co-pay accumulators – the bleeding edge of the co-pay razor?
“OptumRx and UnitedHealthcare are expanding their innovative consumer point-of-sale prescription drug discount programs to apply to all new employer-sponsored plans, making medications more affordable and improving health outcomes.”
Translation: Lower out-of-pocket costs result in higher medication adherence rates. And this equals many good things – not the least of which is – better patient outcomes!
According to a new paper from the Progressive Policy Institute, Progressive Policy Institute on point of sale (POS) rebates:
* POS clarifies the true cost of prescription medications and allows consumers and physicians to make better cost-benefit trade-offs.
* POS reduces the incentive for companies to raise their list prices while offering bigger rebates to insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
* And, perhaps most important, passing the manufacturer rebates through to consumers helps the high spenders, who would be able to take better advantage of discounts and rebates.
Per the OptumRx/UnitedHealthcare press release, “UnitedHealthcare’s fully insured members at the point-of-sale; consumers already seeing average savings of $130 per eligible prescription in 2019” and “Programs strengthen prescription drug adherence by up to 16%, lead to improved patient health.”
Bravo. But this welcome and appropriate bragging begs the question – why are they still pushing patient-punitive measures such as co-pay accumulators – the bleeding edge of the co-pay razor?
