Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? The sun is trying to peek through a muggy haze descending this morning on the Pharmalot campus, where our official mascot is lounging about and assorted birds and bugs can be heard in the distance. As for us, we are immersed in our usual routine of foraging for interesting items and brewing cups of stimulation. It is, after all, another busy day. No doubt, it is the same for you. So here are some tidbits to help you along. Hope today proves successful, and keep in touch. …
At least half a dozen private health insurers in some of the nation’s largest states are balking at covering the Biogen (BIIB) Alzheimer’s drug, saying it is an experimental and unproven treatment despite being approved by regulators one month ago, The Boston Globe reports. Six affiliates of Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Florida, New York, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania say in newly adopted policies they will not cover Aduhelm, because they consider it “investigational” or “experimental” or because “a clinical benefit has not been established.”
Meanwhile, the Biogen drug could cost Medicaid anywhere from $720 million to nearly $2.2 billion each year depending on the number of patients treated, STAT says, citing a new analysis. If 75% of the roughly 67,000 Medicaid beneficiaries switched to the new Biogen drug from existing Alzheimer’s treatments, the cost to the program would be more than $2.1 billion, which is equal to 7% of current Medicaid net spending. Under this scenario, states would spend $695 million and the federal share would be $1.47 billion.
About the Author Reprints
Create a display name to comment
This name will appear with your comment
