Covered California Votes To Cap What Patients Pay For Pricey Drugs

"Starting in 2016, most people will only have to pay a maximum of $150 or $250 per prescription, per month. These caps are for Covered California's so-called silver and platinum plans. Bronze plans will have caps of $500."

In recent years, expensive specialty medicines used to treat cancer and chronic illnesses have forced some very ill Americans to choose between getting proper treatment and paying their rent.

To ease the financial burden, the California agency that governs the state's Obamacare plans issued landmark rules Thursday that will put a lid on the amount anyone enrolled in one of those plans can be charged each month for high-end medicine.

The agency says its rules, set to take effect in 2016, "strike a balance between ensuring Covered California consumers can afford the medication they need to treat chronic and life-threatening conditions while keeping premiums affordable for all."

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Covered California weighs plan to reduce financial burden of expensive drugs for people with serious illnesses

Covered California, the state’s Obamacare health insurance exchange, could alter the way consumers pay for extremely expensive specialty drugs, but patient advocates say that medications for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C will still cost too much.

The exchange’s board of directors, which meets today, is scheduled to consider a proposal that would set a maximum monthly co-insurance cost of $200 to $500 per prescription.

Currently, consumers pay 10 percent to 30 percent of the drug costs, which can run into thousands of dollars and cause them to quickly reach their plan’s maximum annual out-of-pocket spending limits, which range from $2,250 to $6,250.

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