HIV+Hep offered comments on the proposed national elimination plan for hepatitis C, asking how the initiative would be funded and authorized, where the initiative would be housed, and why there is a need for the government to purchase medications.
We, the undersigned 105 organizations, on behalf of millions of patients and Americans who live with complex conditions such as HIV, autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, lupus, hemophilia, mental illness, and hepatitis write in response to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) request for public comment on the impact of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices on consumers. Specifically, we offer comments on how PBMs impact the health and well-being of patients who receive their health coverage through the private insurance market. While most people think insurers make the majority of decisions regarding health coverage and affordability, when it comes to prescription drugs, it is the PBMs that drive much of the decisions as to what medications a beneficiary can access and how much they pay for them. We commend the FTC for its leadership to investigate the impact that PBM practices have on the patient communities we serve and believe this represents a critical step forward to improving patient access and affordability to necessary medications.
We, the undersigned 51 organizations, on behalf of millions of patients and American consumers who live with complex conditions such as HIV, autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, lupus, hemophilia, mental illness, and hepatitis, write to comment on the Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters for 2023 Proposed Rule. The patients we represent appreciate all you are doing to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for beneficiaries. While there are several components of the proposed rule that many of us will comment on elsewhere, this letter focuses on those issues that impact access and affordability of prescription drugs.
We are pleased that the Biden administration is moving forward with the requirement that insurance plans must report on various data points associated with prescription drug spending. We believe with this greater understanding and transparency of prescription drug costs, you can better implement policies and measures that increase competition, improve prescription drug affordability and access for the American people.
The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute write[s] to express our strong opposition to the proposed limits to the prescription drug formulary that have been included as part of Oregon’s 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver. The stated goal of the waiver is to promote greater equity; however, not only do we believe what Oregon is proposing is not legal, but it will have the opposite effect of promoting equity. We urge you to not include these proposals in your waiver submission.