New generics less available in Medicare than commercial plans; White paper

The US Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) last week released a white paper, “ New Generics Are Less Available in Medicare Than Commercial Plans.”

New generic entrants benefit patients and the health care system by introducing competition for high-priced drugs, says the AAM. However, new evidence confirms that the Medicare Part D Program continues to underperform compared to commercial plans in providing patient access to generic medicines.

“Today’s report reveals persistent design flaws within Medicare Part D that act as barriers to coverage of and access to recently approved, low-cost generic drugs. There’s simply no justification for providing America’s seniors worse access to lower-cost generics than beneficiaries in commercial health plans receive, said Christine Simmon, senior vice president, Policy & Strategic Alliances, at the AAM, and executive director, Biosimilars Council, adding: “This analysis provides critical data illustrating how crucial first generics are in driving drug prices down and how coverage within Part D plays a key role in ensuring patients reap their full benefits.”