Employers pay up to 30 times as much for specialty drugs than Medicare does, new research finds. According to the JAMA Health Forum, for the 10 most commonly used specialty drugs, employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) plans paid prices up to 3,350% higher than Medicare. Even for the most expensive drugs, employer costs could be as much as 54% more than Medicare pricing.
“High ESI prices for physician-administered drugs raise overall spending and threaten access to innovative and lifesaving products for close to half of the U.S. population with health insurance through their employer,” the study concluded. “Policies to reduce ESI prices for physician-administered drugs will be important. These efforts are needed for both low-price, commonly used drugs and the most-expensive drugs.”
To give you a hedge against high specialty drug costs, MedBen Rx offers access solutions – new ways to provide member assistance through plan design, public aid, and other avenues. Our Specialty Drug Services use highly competitive solutions to deliver best-in-market pricing.
Take the first step to bring your specialty spend down by calling MedBen Rx at 888-627-8683.