Seeking to address rising prescription drug costs, UnitedHealthcare (UNH) said Tuesday that it will pass along some rebates that the big insurer receives from drug makers, a move that may provide relief to a small portion of consumers, but was also criticized for failing to address the larger problem of rising medicine prices.
Starting next year, the insurer will redirect a majority of rebates for around 7.5 million people, and expects to reduce costs from just a few dollars to more than $1,000 for each prescription. However, the initiative will not include an estimated 18.6 million consumers who are covered by so-called self-insured plans, in which employers pay for health care benefits.
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Assuming Mr hill is correct in this – “The problem with the model is the vast majority of rebates are generated by a small number of beneficiaries taking expensive brand and specialty drugs. ” – would that explain why the PBMs have gotten less attention until now? This really only took off with EpiPen and Heather Bresch, as I remember.