Health plan tiers raise drug costs for hepatitis patients

This is important information to think about if you have open enrollment.  Jacques Chambers article "Open Enrollment" will be featured in the next issue of the October Mid-Monthly HCV Advocate Newsletter - Alan

By Bob Herman  | October 5, 2015

A new report says that health insurance companies discriminate against people with hepatitis B and C by charging high out-of-pocket costs for drugs, but the industry lobby has called the analysis “very one-sided” and limited in scope.

The Affordable Care Act prohibits health insurers from discriminating against people on the basis of age, gender or health conditions, and the federal government has already made it clear it will monitor health plans sold on the public exchanges to ensure they meet ACA standards.

The not-for-profit AIDS Institute examined silver-level health plans that were sold on Florida's insurance marketplace in 2015. The group found that eight of the 12 insurers that sold 2015 plans had what it deemed as discriminatory practices for hepatitis B and C drugs. For example, Aetna placed many of its hepatitis drugs on the most expensive tiers with coinsurance rates up to 50%. Humana had a $1,500 prescription drug deductible and also had many of its hepatitis drugs on the highest tiers with large cost-sharing, the report found.

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