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“A federal judge on Monday stopped a Trump administration initiative that would have required drugmakers to reveal the sticker price of their drugs in television ads.
...
The decision from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services does not have the regulatory power to make drug manufacturers include the cost of drugs in television commercials.
Mehta wrote that in halting the rule, the court was not questioning its wisdom, but resting the issue on the law set by Congress in the first place.
"That policy very well could be an effective tool in halting the rising cost of prescription drugs. But no matter how vexing the problem of spiraling drug costs may be, HHS cannot do more than what Congress has authorized," Mehta wrote.“
Uh.......most other countries in the WORLD don't allow ANY direct-to-consumer drug advertising.
If Trump wants to do something real, let him try that one!
Here is an example.
A colon check with scope cost about $1200 or more.
Cologuard (heavily advertised) is about $600 or at least a couple 100.....
A test available on Amazon for $16 (FIT #2) is rated by many docs as effective as can be...
Will the commercials tell you that?
This type of a move is typical of our system. If Cologuard advertises that it is $500, will less people get tested for colon cancer? I think most of us would want our insurance to cover $500 for such a test.
But will the commercial say "Hey, for less than $20 you can have a great test?".....of course it will not.
There is no "point" here except our entire system needs reformed and direct-to-consumer drug advertising must go out the window. I am fine with the tests being available in the local pharm or on amazon, but spending billions for marketing on TV, etc is just crazy. We all pay.
Maybe they can forego the video of the senior citizens doing yoga on the beach during the disclaimers and just post the prices? Makes sense.
That's a great idea. Except for one huge problem. Trying to determine the cost of a drug for you personally is more complicated than calculus. I called my insurance company just yesterday to try to find out why my medicine was so expensive and how I could reduce the price. Note: I have worked in the medical field 15 years and am extremely familiar with how insurance works and even I was confused.
Me: Hi, I went to my pharmacy and I discovered my drug cost $470 this month, which I can't afford. How can I get it cheaper? Is there a way?
Aetna rep: This month you have a deductible of $X. You had no deductible last year. Pay the deductible and next month you will owe 29% of the drug cost because it is a Tier 5 drug for a total of $286.50 for 30 tablets. Once you hit the catastrophic coverage level, you will owe 25% of the cost of the drug so the price will go down to $X. However, you are using a preferred pharmacy, which is a good thing, because two months ago, you were using a nonpreferred pharmacy for your other drugs which made your cost much higher!
Me: Huh? Why was the other pharmacy nonpreferred? The service was so much better. What is your criteria for preferred vs nonpreferred? Never mind. Can I get the doctor to write an exception letter (which states the expensive drug is medically necessary and I can't use a generic) to reduce the Tier to 4 so the cost will be only $100?
Aetna rep: We don't do that anymore. You must pay the 29%. I can give you the number for financial assistance that may help you with the cost. And next year, maybe you can change to another one of our excellent Medicare plans we offer that will cover your drugs better. Etc, etc. . .
And that is the conversation for only one drug on one plan. Let's assume the cost is disclosed. What cost would it be? The retail price? The price with financial assistance? The price with Medicare? If so, which one of the Medicare plans? Or private insurance?
This type of a move is typical of our system. If Cologuard advertises that it is $500, will less people get tested for colon cancer? I think most of us would want our insurance to cover $500 for such a test.
But will the commercial say "Hey, for less than $20 you can have a great test?".....of course it will not.
There is no "point" here except our entire system needs reformed and direct-to-consumer drug advertising must go out the window. I am fine with the tests being available in the local pharm or on amazon, but spending billions for marketing on TV, etc is just crazy. We all pay.
Or maybe seeing commercials for colon tests will remind millions to get tested for colon cancer?
That's a great idea. Except for one huge problem. Trying to determine the cost of a drug for you personally is more complicated than calculus. I called my insurance company just yesterday to try to find out why my medicine was so expensive and how I could reduce the price. Note: I have worked in the medical field 15 years and am extremely familiar with how insurance works and even I was confused.
Me: Hi, I went to my pharmacy and I discovered my drug cost $470 this month, which I can't afford. How can I get it cheaper? Is there a way?
Aetna rep: This month you have a deductible of $X. You had no deductible last year. Pay the deductible and next month you will owe 29% of the drug cost because it is a Tier 5 drug for a total of $286.50 for 30 tablets. Once you hit the catastrophic coverage level, you will owe 25% of the cost of the drug so the price will go down to $X. However, you are using a preferred pharmacy, which is a good thing, because two months ago, you were using a nonpreferred pharmacy for your other drugs which made your cost much higher!
Me: Huh? Why was the other pharmacy nonpreferred? The service was so much better. What is your criteria for preferred vs nonpreferred? Never mind. Can I get the doctor to write an exception letter (which states the expensive drug is medically necessary and I can't use a generic) to reduce the Tier to 4 so the cost will be only $100?
Aetna rep: We don't do that anymore. You must pay the 29%. I can give you the number for financial assistance that may help you with the cost. And next year, maybe you can change to another one of our excellent Medicare plans we offer that will cover your drugs better. Etc, etc. . .
And that is the conversation for only one drug on one plan. Let's assume the cost is disclosed. What cost would it be? The retail price? The price with financial assistance? The price with Medicare? If so, which one of the Medicare plans? Or private insurance?
It will probably be retail price imo, theres no way they could list all the different prices for different ins carriers and other variables effecting cost.
Federal judge blocks Trump rule requiring drug prices in TV ads
A federal judge Monday thwarted one of the Trump administration’s key efforts to address rising drug prices by blocking a rule that would have required drugmakers to include the list prices of their medicines in television ads.....
Federal judge blocks Trump rule requiring drug prices in TV ads
A federal judge Monday thwarted one of the Trump administration’s key efforts to address rising drug prices by blocking a rule that would have required drugmakers to include the list prices of their medicines in television ads.....
Doesn't matter, because the real solution is to disallow the advertising of health care services or drugs. It is illegal in almost every other major Western democracy, so why is it allowed here?
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Federal judge blocks Trump rule requiring drug prices in TV ads
