Health Plans vs. Drugmakers: The Battle Over Copay Subsidies

Register today for …

Health Plans vs. Drugmakers:
The Battle Over Copay Subsidies

An Audioconference

Thursday, November 5, 2009

1:00 – 2:30 Eastern time

As more generic drugs eat into drugmaker profits from blockbuster medications, pharmaceutical manufacturers are using copayment subsidy programs to target patients with commercial insurance. Their strategy of paying the copays for members who take top-tier brand-name drugs, instead of less expensive generics, is drawing drugmakers into conflicts with health plans, and putting some patients in harm’s way as well.

• How do these programs interfere with efforts by payers and PBMs to move patients to generics?
• How much are they costing health plans?
• How much risk are they creating for patients who may now have incentives to take less healthy medications?
• What strategies are payers now using to fight back?

Dial in on Nov. 5 to hear Michael Cartier, chief clinical officer at Twinsburg, Ohio-based PBM Envision Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., and George Van Antwerp, general manager of pharmacy solutions at Silverlink Communications, Inc., provide valuable insights and practical advice on how health plans can track and counteract copay subsidy programs. You’ll get all the details on strategies you can design and implement immediately, including:

• What types of drugs do copay subsidy programs target, and how do they work?
• What is the impact on drug dispensing rates?
• What are the differences between copay subsidy programs targeting specialty drugs versus those for other medications — and how should health plans respond?
• How can health plans ensure that copay subsidy programs don’t compromise patient safety?
• How can payers use step therapy, generic promotion and other programs to target classes that subsidies are focused on?
• How can adjustments to tier structures make copay subsidies less attractive?
• What operational issues must be considered when implementing such a tiered structure adjustment?

To register at a special discounted price or for more information, please visit http://www.aishealth.com/Products/C9P27_110509E740.html or call 800-521-4323.