WASHINGTON, DC (February 28, 2019) – Today’s report from Avalere is further evidence that America’s patients are needlessly spending too much out of pocket for affordable generics. Since 2015, seniors have paid nearly $22 billion in additional out-of-pocket costs for their prescription drugs in Medicare.
We applaud the Trump Administration for taking bold steps to course-correct this problem and we encourage Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement its proposal to place generic medicines on generic tiers. The proposal would increase access, reduce patient confusion and save our nation’s patients more than $4 billion per year.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Rachel Schwartz
202.249.7147
About AAM
AAM is driven by the belief that access to safe, quality, effective medicine has a tremendous impact on a person’s life and the world around them. Generic and biosimilar medicines improve people’s lives, improving society and the economy in turn. AAM represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, manufacturers and distributors of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic industry. Generic pharmaceuticals are 90 percent of prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. but only 23 percent of total drug spending.
About the Biosimilars Council
The Biosimilars Council, a division of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), works to ensure a positive environment for patient access to biosimilar medicines. The Biosimilars Council is a leading source for information about the safety and efficacy of more affordable alternatives to costly brand biologic medicines. Areas of focus include public and health expert education, strategic partnerships, government affairs, legal affairs and regulatory policy. More information is available at www.biosimilarscouncil.org.