Federal Judge Blocks Medicaid Work Requirements in KY & AR

Apr 16, 2019 | Medicaid

At the end of March, a federal judge overturned Medicaid work requirement waivers in Kentucky and Arkansas, which had been approved by CMS. In our brief, we review Judge Boasberg’s decision and its effects on Medicaid work requirement efforts in other states. Click to read more.

A Look At Retail Pharma Spending, 2012-2016

Apr 11, 2019 | Drugs, Pharmacy

The US spends more on prescription drugs each year than any other country. BRG Experts Bryan Cote, Aaron Vandervelde, and Eleanor Blalock assisted with both primary and secondary research used in a recent PEW study, which offers new perspectives on how the pharmaceutical supply and payment chain for retail drugs evolved from 2012-2016. Click to read more.

Copay Accumulators Increasing In Popularity Among Insurers

Apr 10, 2019 | Payer Services, Payers

Copay accumulator programs are increasingly used by insurers and PBMs to exclude the value of manufacturer copay assistance programs from the calculation of a patient’s annual deductible and/or out-of-pocket maximum. Two states recently banned the use of these programs in health insurance plans regulated by the state, and CMS recently proposed to allow Exchange plans to incorporate a limited version of copay accumulators into the benefit design. This brief provides an overview of copay accumulators and recent noteworthy policy developments. Click to read more.