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- Page navigation anchor for RE: Impact of brand drug discount cards on private insurer, government and patient expendituresRE: Impact of brand drug discount cards on private insurer, government and patient expenditures
Many private insurance plans now have some form of generic substitution such that even if the brand name drug is dispensed (and the discount card used) the private plan will only reimburse the cost of the generic. There are a couple of exceptions - (1) the plan has "standard" generic substitution whereby the plan will cover the cost of the brand name drug if the prescriber has indicated some form of "no substitution" on the script, or (2) the plan has "evidence-based" generic substitution whereby the private plan must pre-approve the brand name drug based on medical documentation submitted by the prescriber. Given the foregoing, the only way that the discount cards can influence the cost to private plans to any great extent would be for plans with no form of generic substitution. This does not seem to be addressed in the study or related articles.
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for RE: brand and generics and discount cardsRE: brand and generics and discount cards
I ha ve never understood why brand drugs don't just lower their prices when the patents expire and generics appear....after all they benefited during their patent years.....and that way keep their sales volumes up and their revenue up....
Competing Interests: None declared.