prescription drug costs Archives

Prescription Drug Plans: Spread Pricing Explainer

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

07 Mar 202407 Mar 2024

Lawmakers, employers, consumer groups and other stakeholders have called for more transparency from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Lack of transparency enables PBMs to engage in the practice of spread pricing where PBMs charge health plans more than they pay pharmacies for the […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance Prescription Drugs

PBM Reform Momentum Heats Up

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

08 Jun 202308 Jun 2023

The fight to lower prescription drug costs is underway. Congress has introduced a handful of bipartisan bills aiming to tackle drug prices by increasing transparency on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their practices that increase drug prices for group health plans. Congressional […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Prescription Drugs

RxDC Reporting Due June 1: Here’s What to Know

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

16 May 202316 May 2023

Prescription drug data collection (RxDC) is the new reporting process required by Section 204 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). The reporting is meant to capture data on prescription drug (Rx) pricing trends, reimbursement amounts including rebates, identify how Rx costs […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance Legislative Prescription Drugs Regulatory U.S.

RxDC Reporting Will Bring Changes . . . Here’s What to Know Now

Jonas Leyrer, CEBS

07 Dec 202207 Dec 2022

Late last year, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), which contained a provision requiring health care plans to submit Prescription Drug Data Collection (RxDC) reports to CMS. RxDC was made retroactive for 2020 but its implementation was delayed for a […]

Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey Health Care Prescription Drugs U.S.

18 Prescription Drug Cost-Containment Strategies For Your Plan

Justin Held, CEBS

08 Jun 202107 Jun 2021

Benefits practitioners have grown accustomed to headlines addressing the escalating costs of prescription drug spending. Despite concerted efforts, the cost of commonly prescribed brand-name drugs continues to grow at alarming rates. A recent study from the University of Pittsburgh stated that over […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Prescription Drugs

17 Ways Employers Are Combating Prescription Drug Costs

Justin Held, CEBS

19 Mar 201922 Jul 2019

Benefits practitioners have grown accustomed to headlines addressing the escalating costs of prescription drugs. A recently released congressional report stated that the prices of commonly prescribed brand-name drugs have risen at a rate nearly ten times the annual rate of inflation over […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Prescription Drugs

Strategies for Controlling Prescription Drug Costs

Justin Held, CEBS

15 Oct 201810 Oct 2018

Benefits practitioners have grown accustomed to headlines addressing escalating prescription drug costs. A recently released congressional report stated that the prices of commonly prescribed brand-name drugs have risen at a rate of nearly ten times the annual rate of inflation over the […]