Consumer representatives Carl Schmid, Amy Killelea, and Deborah Steinberg presented data on prior authorization and prescription drugs to the NAIC Prescripion Drug (B) Working Group, including showing that 31 percent of first fills of brand name Rx’s were rejected due to utilization management in exchange plans.
Kevin Herwig discussed alternative funding programs at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination’s Pharmaceutical Symposium, highlighting the harms of these schemes which delay or block access to life-saving drugs, and often try to force patients to obtain life-saving medications through illegal importation. He urged government regulators to take action to enforce the law, investigate AFP business practices, and close the loopholes that enable them to operate.
Carl Schmid discussed with the Hepatitis B Foundation the financial challenges people living with hepatitis B face in the U.S., including high medication costs, insurance barriers, and the ongoing struggle to access affordable, life-saving treatment.
NAIC consumer representative Carl Schmid spoke at the Rx Working Group to describe how insurers continue to place HIV drugs on high-cost tiers and are not covering required treatment and PrEP drugs, and how regulators must protect patients by fully reviewing plan drug coverage and tier placement, responding to patient complaints, and ensuring $0 patient costs for preventive services.
At the 2026 Access USA conference, Kevin Herwig gives updates on legislation, regulation, litigation and media coverage of copay accumulators, copay maximizers, and alternative funding programs, and what the federal and state governments can do to protect patients and increase the affordability of prescription drugs.