POLICY INSTITUTE
March 4, 2020
Contact: Carl Schmid
(202) 365-7725
HIV + Hep Comments on Trump Proposal
to Increase Drug Costs for Patients
Washington DC…
Earlier this week the
HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute
submitted
comments
to the HHS in strong opposition to a proposal that would dramatically increase the cost of prescription drugs for patients. In the
2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters
rule, HHS proposed to allow insurers to not count drug manufacturer coupons to count toward patient out-of-pocket cost sharing.
In the comments, Carl Schmid, Executive Director of
HIV + Hep
, wrote:
“At a time when the American people are rightfully complaining about how much they pay for prescription drugs,
HIV + Hep
cannot understand why the administration is proposing to allow insurance plans to not count copay assistance towards beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs and deductibles. This proposal, if finalized, would be a major setback for patients as they seek to access prescription drugs and goes against President Trump’s promise to make prescription drugs more affordable.
We urge you not to finalize such an anti-patient proposal.”
The proposal is a complete reversal of the administration’s policy included in the rule for 2020 plans that required copay assistance to count for brand name drugs that do not have a generic.
Schmid added, “We do not know exactly what transpired between now and then, but we do know that some large employers and insurers voiced strong disapproval of the policy decision.
HIV + Hep
trusts that for the benefit of patients who rely on costly prescription drugs, the administration will, at a minimum, revert to the 2020 policy. Ideally, we believe that copay assistance should count in all instances.”
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+
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POLICY INSTITUTE
