MedBen Rx Blog
PBMs, GoodRx on the Legislative Hot Seat
Pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) are increasingly being called to answer for their questionable business practices at multiple levels of government. On the state level, in recent months: A major PBM has settled with Iowa and at least 14 other states for...
How Do Health Plans Manage High-Cost Drug Spend?
In two recent articles, we touched on the growing prevalence of high-cost drugs, some with price tags in the thousands and even millions of dollars: Drugmakers are raising prices on over 350 unique drugs this month.Innovative gene therapies have emerged that cost as...
Drugmakers Raising Prices on Over 350 Drugs in January
From Reuters: "Drugmakers including Pfizer Inc, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca PLC and Sanofi SA plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 350 unique drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3...
MedBen Rx Has Solutions for Rising Specialty Drug Costs
From earlier this year: “Health plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that manage drug costs… say specialty drugs now account for 50% or greater of the total prescription spending they manage. In some cases, employer clients are seeing specialty costs account...
Pharmaceutical Companies Represent Nearly 2/3rds of Top Health Care Lobbyists
A review of the biggest spenders in health care lobbying by OpenSecrets reveals that, in the leadup to the 2021-22 election cycle, 16 of the top 25 lobbyists were pharmaceutical & health product organizations (see table below). The top health care lobbyist,...
Gene Therapy: Big Benefits at a Big Cost
The Self-Insurer magazine recently examined the emergence of innovative gene therapies that carry substantial benefits… and hefty price tags. The FDA just approved a hemophilia B gene therapy that costs $3.5 million a dose, making it the...
Be Proactive about Biologics’ Growing Popularity
From earlier this year: “The global biologics market is expected to see a 12% growth rate and reach $420.55 billion by 2025, according to a new report by The Business Research Company.” A drug therapy originating from living organisms, biologics is a...
Don’t Be an ATM for Your PBM!
Major pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) use “smoke and mirrors” to make you believe they’re saving you money on prescription drugs: On the one hand, PBMs offer you administrative fee credits – fixed cost reductions that make up just a small...
MedBen Rx Offers Unique Savings Opportunity
Hospitals and other qualified entities have a unique opportunity for pharmacy savings through Own Use. This innovative program can save MedBen Rx clients as much as 35% when compared to standard PBM pricing.Own Use brings together non-profit health care systems and...
Combat High-cost Drug Marketing with Comparative Effectiveness
From Benefits Pro: “The median launch price of a new drug in the US soared from $2,115 in 2008 to $180,007 in 2021, a 20% annual inflation rate over the period, researchers at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found.”Contributing to these...
Avoid the PBM Rebate Games
MedBen Rx has prepared a whitepaper detailing the games pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) play with administrative and rebate credits. PBMs focus on fixed cost savings to make you think you’re saving on prescription costs… but a closer look reveals that you’re...
MedBen Rx = Lower Cost with Better Outcomes and Complete Transparency
U.S. spending on prescription drugs have returned to pre-pandemic levels and member out-of-pocket costs continue to increase, so it’s the right time to explore pharmacy solutions that offer clinically-effective, lower-cost solutions. MedBen Rx delivers on both counts....