Over the next few weeks, thousands will select insurance plans for 2022, whether on a state exchange or through their employer. A health plan’s fine print hardly makes for riveting reading. So most folks just focus on the monthly premium, make sure their doctor is covered, and ensure cost-sharing responsibilities are manageable. But that fine print is important, especially when it comes to how insurers treat co-pay assistance, or financial help that drug companies offer to patients to assist them with prescription drug out-of-pocket costs. [This opinion piece also appeared in The Lebanon Democrat, The Leader/Observer, Forest Hills/Rego Park Times, Long Island City/Astoria/Jackson Heights Journal, Greenpoint Star, and Brooklyn Downtown Star.]

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