Pew: Eliminating Protected Drug Classes Might Not Generate Much Savings

Pew Charitable Trusts reports that rescinding protected drug classes likely would not save that much money because generic competition is strong in those drug classes, plans already can restrict coverage using other tools and Medicare requirements that are separate from protected class status might prevent plans from excluding drugs anyway. The protected drug-class policy requires plans to cover “all or substantially all” drugs in six classes: anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antineoplastics, antipsychotics, antiretrovirals and immunosuppressants for the treatment of transplant rejection. Congress...