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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Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs Booklet —Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief

Recently I had to fill a prescription drug for my Dog—Buddy.  I had the prescription filled at a well-known national drug store chain.  A 30-day supply cost me $52.00 for a generic drug!  He needed two prescriptions so after I had that one filled I called around to see if I could find a cheaper medicine.  BAM—not only did I find a cheaper generic prescription, but it was only $9.00 for a 30-day supply.  The generic company is a well-recognized and respected generic manufacturer.  How could the same drug cost so much more from one location in the same city?  I guess this can happen when you are dealing with prescriptions, insurance coverage, and pharmacies.   I am now in the process of checking to see if my generic medicines would be cheaper at the other pharmacy that my insurance co-pays.  As the saying goes – it pays to shop around!

Coincidently, today I received a booklet in the mail from Needymeds.org titled “Consumer Reports Best Drugs for Less.”  This little book is chock full of information about saving people money on drugs, gives examples of how much money you can save, provides information on the best choices on different medications, what drugs are safe split in half (and medications that should not be broken in half), generic drugs, reading drug labels, understanding drugstore services and much more health advice.

The booklet is free!  It can be viewed and downloaded in English and Spanish at CRBestbuydrugs.org

USA-Lack of Insurance Bars Some from Hepatitis C Treatment

Survey data from 2001 to 2010 show that lack of insurance kept some people with hepatitis C virus from getting treatment.

Recently, more effective and well-tolerated drugs have been developed to treat hepatitis C, removing many of the discouraging side effects of older drugs. The infection is curable and transmission can be prevented, researchers write in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

But for the more than three million people in the U.S. who have chronic liver disease from hepatitis C, there are still two important barriers to getting treatment, said lead author Dr. Ivo Ditah from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

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