Copay accumulators

Copay assistance programs exist to help patients afford the high costs of essential medications. For people living with HIV and hepatitis B, lifelong daily treatment is required. For hepatitis C, a curative treatment is available but often comes with a high upfront cost. Without assistance that counts toward out-of-pocket limits, patients in high-deductible or high-cost-sharing plans may be forced to go without treatment. Allowing maximizer programs to flourish, particularly under the false premise that they benefit patients, only reinforces barriers to treatment.