Co-payments and co-insurance fees for drugs rise 34% under USA’s Affordable Care Act

An examination of new health plans from 46 states in the USA revealed that co-payments and co-insurance fees for drugs increased an average of 34% compared to the pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual insurance market.

All of the four new health plan categories under the Affordable Care Act had drug cost-sharing increases. Bronze health insurance plans had the highest increase, 58%, while Platinum health insurance plans had the lowest increase, 15%, according to a survey by HealthPocket.

Plan enrollees who use brand name drugs and specialty drugs face the greatest burden from the increases in co-payments and co-insurance fees. Those enrollees who use medications infrequently, on the contrary, are not likely to notice the cost-sharing increases.