Updates

High Cost Drugs Threaten the Sustainability of Medicare

Jul 30, 2015

This is an important time to think about the future of programs and policies that support us as we age. Medicare marks its 50th Anniversary at the end of July. I’ve been around to witness much of the creation and evolution of health policy. After a 40-year career in Aging and Health Policy, first in the Senate, then at AARP, and now as head of the National Coalition on Health Care, I have a few observations about where things stand. Read More

PRESS STATEMENT: National Health Expenditure Projections Show Sharp Rise in Rx Spending

Jul 29, 2015

“These numbers paint a troubling picture for the future of the American economy. The dramatic rise in prescription drug spending proves that it is more important than ever to advance a solution to monopolistic drug pricing. We cannot afford to continue on this unsustainable path.” Read More

The Hill: FDA approves cholesterol drug with $15,000 yearly price tag

Jul 24, 2015

“Breakthrough treatments such as Praluent hold tremendous medical promise for certain patients, but its price tag makes us question how long the health system can sustain these costs for patients managing chronic conditions over several years," John Rother, president of the National Coalition on Health Care, said in a statement. Read More

PRESS STATEMENT: FDA Approves Praluent, New Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment

Jul 24, 2015

“Breakthrough treatments such as Praluent hold tremendous medical promise for certain patients, but it’s price tag makes us question how long the health system can sustain these costs for patients managing chronic conditions over several years.” Read More

Cancer experts call for curbs on rising drug prices

Jul 23, 2015

In recent years, increasingly specialized medications and an aging population that takes more drugs have substantially boosted the price of treatments for cancer, hepatitis C, cystic fibrosis and other diseases. Read More

Doctors Object to High Cancer-Drug Prices

Jul 23, 2015

Amid the growing clamor, cancer medication has drawn particular ire. The average price of new cancer drugs in the U.S. increased five- to tenfold over 15 years, to more than $100,000 a year in 2012, according to the Mayo Clinic journal editorial. Read More

Drug Companies Pushed From Far and Wide to Explain High Prices

Jul 23, 2015

As complaints grow about exorbitant drug prices, pharmaceutical companies are coming under pressure to disclose the development costs and profits of those medicines and the rationale for charging what they do. Read More

PRESS STATEMENT: New Report Shows Medicare Spending Increase Driven By Specialty Drug Prices

Jul 22, 2015

PRESS STATEMENT: New Report Shows Medicare Spending Increase Driven By Specialty Drug Prices Read More

$1,000-per-pill drug overtaken by pricier successor

Jul 11, 2015

The $1,000 pill for a liver-wasting viral infection that made headlines last year is no longer the favorite of patients and doctors. The new leading pill for hepatitis C is more expensive, and the number of patients seeking a cure has surged. Read More

PRESS STATEMENT: New Report Shows Hepatitis C Drugs Have Costly Impact on California

Jul 1, 2015

Exorbitant price tags for specialty medications are taking a serious financial toll on state budgets. A new analysis released yesterday from the California Association of Health Plans (CAHP) shows that treating only 10 percent of 175,000 patients in state-funded health care programs with just three hepatitis C medications would cost California roughly $1-2 billion. Read More

How new drugs helping millions of Americans live longer are also making them go broke

Jun 30, 2015

Around the U.S., people with serious diseases are falling through the cracks, unable to afford the medication they need. Patients with HIV, cancer, lupus, leukemia, hepatitis C and other serious conditions are paying huge out-of-pocket sums for necessary medication. These costs are putting heavy mental and financial stress on some of America’s most vulnerable people. Read More

PwC Infographic: Costs from specialty drugs skyrocketing

Jun 29, 2015

A new PricewaterhouseCoopers report on medical cost trends highlights how specialty drugs are outpacing traditional drugs in a major way. Read More