1.
Health Aff (Millwood)
; 27(3): 824-34, 2008.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18474976
ABSTRACT
This study examines the overall profile and costs associated with severely ill commercially insured people. We found severely ill members to have the highest costs, from both the insurer and member perspective. Even for the most costly members where specialty medication use was highest, biologics represented less than one-third of the pharmacy spending and 6.6 percent of overall spending. Out-of-pocket spending rose dramatically when medications were paid for under the pharmacy benefit rather than the medical benefit. The advantages of paying for specialty medications under the pharmacy benefit should be evaluated in conjunction with the potential consequences of increased out-of-pocket burden.
Subject(s)
Drug Costs/statistics & numerical data , Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data , Insurance, Health/economics , Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services , Drug Utilization , Humans , Insurance Coverage , Insurance, Health/statistics & numerical data , Severity of Illness Index , United States
2.
Manag Care
; 15(10 Suppl 9): 14-5; discussion 15-6, 2006 Oct.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17436481