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Alan Franciscus

Editor-in-Chief

HCV Advocate



Showing posts with label Anthem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anthem. Show all posts

Monday, June 15, 2015

Local woman sues Anthem Blue Cross for denying Hepatitis C drug


Jane Blumenfeld said it has been 14 years of fear and uncertainty since she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. She does not know when her health could take a turn for the worst.

It all started when she tried to donate blood.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Consumers Sue Anthem for Denying Coverage for a Gilead Hepatitis C Drug

The controversy over the new crop of hepatitis C treatments has taken yet another turn as consumers are starting to file lawsuits against insurers that deny them access to the medicines. Over the past two weeks, two different women alleged that Anthem Blue Cross refused to pay for the Harvoni treatment sold by Gilead Sciences GILD -1.74% because it was not deemed “medically necessary.”

The issue emerges after more than a year of debate over the cost of the medicines and complaints by public and private payers that the treatments have become budget busters. The new hepatitis C treatments, which are sold by Gilead Science and AbbVie, cure more than 90% of those infected and, in the U.S., cost from $63,000 to $94,500, depending upon the drug and regimen, before any discounts.

In response, drug makers have been pressured to offer discounts and some state Medicaid programs, for instance, set restrictions before providing coverage to some hepatitis C patients. By setting restrictions, payers hope to limit the number of patients for whom coverage is provided. And this is the tack that Anthem Blue Cross has pursued, according to court documents.

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Anthem selects Gilead as primary supplier of hepatitis C drugs

Jan 8 (Reuters) - Health insurer Anthem Inc on Thursday said it reached a deal under which Gilead Sciences Inc's hepatitis C drug Harvoni will be the primary treatment for patients infected with the most common strain of the liver-destroying virus.

Anthem said the deal effectively lowers its hepatitis C treatment costs. "We were able to achieve a very competitive rate and a freeze on retail pricing for 2015," the insurer said in an emailed statement. "That does favorably impact plan costs for 2015."

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