More than 9 out of 10 generic drug prescriptions are filled for $20 or less. Everybody who takes medicine to get or stay healthy can appreciate these savings, which allow patients and families to spend their money on other things that matters to them. Those savings, however, are now in jeopardy, thanks to a combination of factors. Here’s what you need to know.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 12, 2018) In its newest white paper, released today, the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) finds that generics and biosimilars continue to provide savings for patients, but that uninterrupted patient access to these affordable prescription medicines is at risk.
Patient health and well-being depends on the uninterrupted availability of lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines. Moreover, as patients live longer the importance of a robust and sustainable generic and biosimilar medicines industry becomes only that much more important. Policymakers must act quickly to ensure continued saving and market-based competition, as well as prevent shortages, for future availability of affordable medicines. This requires:
Association for Accessible Medicines is calling on Congress to take meaningful action to lower prescription drug costs with the Prescription for Savings. Patients win when market-based competition from FDA-approved generics and biosimilars deliver savings at the pharmacy counter.
To this end, we recommend these seven policy solutions:
Medicaid is a lifeline for more than 37 million children, more than 40 percent of all children with special health care needs, and more than 40 percent of all births. Originally designed to serve the poor, Medicaid now touches tens of millions of Americans who live above the poverty line.
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The Medicaid Generics Penalty is paid by generic drug manufacturers when the “Average Manufacturer Price” (AMP) of a generic drug sold to Medicaid rises faster than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over a three-month period.
Starting this year, a poorly understood and relatively unknown policy imposes a new financial penalty on generic pharmaceuticals purchased by Medicaid — to the detriment of patients.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 19, 2017) — Today, the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) and its Biosimilars Council released an analysis finding that if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) were to revise its current reimbursement policy for biosimilar medicines, the federal government could save $11.4 billion on medicines over the next 10 years.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 19, 2017) – Access to safe, affordable generic medication is a critical lifeline to millions of patients, with individuals and families receiving coverage under Medicaid coverage saw their prescription drug costs reduced by $512 on average last year.