Posted by Michael Wonder on 13 Mar 2019
UnitedHealth expands drug rebate program to consumers
12 March 2019 - UnitedHealth, the country’s largest health insurer, said Tuesday it would expand a program that passes drug manufacturer rebates directly to consumers, the Associated Press reported.
Starting in 2020, new employer-sponsored health insurance coverage that used UnitedHealthcare and pharmacy benefit manager OptumRx, also a division of UnitedHealth, would have to include point-of-sale pharmacy discounts.
The trial program started January 1, 2019, and so far has resulted in an average of $130 per eligible prescription, says UnitedHealth. According to a company analysis, when there are no large out-of-pocket drug costs, patient adherence to a medication plan improves by 4% to 16%.
