When Drug Costs Get Too High, Patients Are Skipping Doses Or Just Not Taking Medication

Experts are worried this behavior could be extremely dangerous for the patients. “We have lots of treatments where if you don’t take them exactly as prescribed, you might be doing more harm than good,” said Stacie Dusetzina, a health policy researcher at Vanderbilt University. Other ways patients are trying to control costs are by asking for cheaper drugs from doctors or seeking out alternative therapies. Meanwhile, Ohio's attorney general is suing UnitedHealth's OptumRx unit alleging it overcharged the state for prescription drugs.

Stat: When Medicines Are Unaffordable, Here’s How Patients Cut Costs

One in five U.S. adults prescribed medicines say they’ve asked their doctor for a cheaper option, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults said they’d been prescribed a medication in the past year, the majority of which come with out-of-pocket costs. The report looked at three ways adults who were prescribed medicines tried to cut costs in 2017: asking for a cheaper drug, not taking medicine as prescribed, or seeking alternative therapies. (Thielking, 3/19)

Reuters: Ohio Accuses UnitedHealth's OptumRx Of Drug Overcharges In Lawsuit

Ohio's attorney general on Monday said he had filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group Inc's OptumRx unit, saying the pharmacy benefit manager had overcharged the state nearly $16 million for prescription drugs. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's lawsuit followed a probe into the extent pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) like OptumRx had engaged in pricing practices that resulted in the state overpaying for drugs for people covered by state health programs. (3/18)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

Trump 2.0

Public Health

Audio Reports

Special Reports

More Topics