Hundred dollar bills rolled up in a pill bottle

New Rule Might Increase Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs for Patients

This blog post is adapted from a commentary published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

By Bryan Walsh andAaron S. Kesselheim

Patients may face increased out-of-pocket drug costs as a result of a new rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in July 2020 that would permit wide use of co-pay accumulator adjustment programs (CAAPs).

These increased costs may have effects on medication adherence, and in turn may affect health outcomes. In a recent commentary published in the American Journal of Managed Care, we explain the background to this rule and suggest ways CMS could narrow it to avoid these potential negative effects.

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