August 2 Managed Care News Brief: 2019 Premiums, Express Scripts, and More

2019 Premium Increases May Be Smaller Than Recent Years

A report in the Wall Street Journal explained that after double-digit percentage increases for the last few consecutive years, increases for 2019 may be smaller in states like Mississippi and Florida. The report also noted that in some states ACA marketplace plans may actually decrease in price in some states.

PAYER NEWS

HHS Considering Drug Importation to Lower Prices

Surprisingly, HHS secretary Alex Azar recently announced that the HHS was exploring drug importation to reduce high drug prices in the United States, according to KHN. Mr Azars memo said that the HHS is forming an expert group to consider the impact of drug importation in order to avoid prices being inflated through patent-gaming. However, an expert told KHN that this is likely a “dog-and-pony show, where they’re calling in an expert group to explore avenues of importation — but when all is said and done, they find that they don’t want to do this.”

Secretary Azar Says Short-Term Plans Wont Impact ACA Enrollees

According to Fierce Healthcare, HHS secretary Alex Azar said that short-term plans are “absolutely not” designed to undermine the ACA marketplace and that he doesn’t think the plans will have an impact on ACA enrollees. “The Affordable Care Act is sabotaging itself by its own structure,” Mr Azar told reporters.

FDA NEWS

FDA Gives Keytruda/Lenvima Combo Breakthrough Designation

According to OncLive, the FDA has granted a combination of Keytruda (pembrolizumab; Merck) and Lenvima (lenvatinib; Eisai) for the treatment of advanced and/or metastatic non–microsatellite instability high (MSI-H)/proficient mismatch repair endometrial carcinoma. The drug is being developed as part of a collaboration between Merck and Eisai.

PBM NEWS

Express Scripts Defends PBM Business Model

In a Q2 earnings repot, Express Scripts defended its business model stating that the company’s clients have seen a “reduction in their pharmacy bill, with Express Scripts passing approximately 95% of all pharmaceutical purchase discounts, price reductions and rebates,” back to clients.  According to Express Scripts, their services have helped health plans “achieve a record low drug trend of 1.1% for the first half of 2018.” (HealthCareDive).

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