Preliminary estimates from CAHC show up to $11 billion in savings over the next decade from expanded use of real-time benefit technology
WASHINGTON, DC (July 17, 2019): The Council for Affordable Health Coverage (CAHC) – a coalition of employers, insurers, life science companies, PBMs, brokers, agents, patient groups, and physician organizations – praised administrative and legislative steps taken to effectuate its Prescriptions for Savings drug affordability blueprint today, including action by the U.S. Treasury Department to expand Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s unanimous vote to expand real-time benefit tools (RTBTs) with passage of the METRIC Act.
“CAHC is pleased to see policymakers continuing to take action on these commonsense, market-based solutions to improve prescription drug affordability. These measures will not only help consumers’ pocketbooks but also promise to meaningfully impact the overall health cost trend,” said CAHC President Joel White. “Real-time benefit tools finally bring prescription drug cost transparency to the point of prescribing, helping patients avoid sticker shock at the pharmacy counter. Preliminary estimates from CAHC show that expanded use of this technology could deliver up to $11 billion in federal budget savings over the next decade alone. Meanwhile, the changes announced by the U.S. Treasury Department to provide first-dollar coverage of certain medication for chronic conditions will make critical strides toward improving medication adherence – an entirely preventable $300 billion crisis that is driving unsustainable health spending.”
First unveiled at a Congressional briefing in May, CAHC’s Prescriptions for Affordability blueprint calls on policymakers to “allow HSA qualified health plans to provide first-dollar coverage of prescription drug costs within the deductible” and “require real-time benefit tools in Medicare to fully inform the prescriber and patient of their drug coverage options and costs,” among other patient-centered reforms.
CAHC’s advocacy efforts led to the inclusion of RTBT provisions in a final Medicare Part D rule released in May.
Most recently, CAHC President Joel White wrote in support of expanding HSAs to provide more inclusive coverage of medications for chronic conditions in a June 12th guest post for HSATalk.com.