Poor medication adherence resulting from missed doses, delayed prescription refills, or the lack of any refills is often associated with the cost of a prescription. It has previously been found that the more a patient pays out-of-pocket for a prescription, the less likely that patient is to be adherent.
Targeting cost with a value-based insurance design (VBID) may be the solution to cost-related adherence issues, according to a study published by Health Affairs. Insurance plans that operate by charging patients less for the most beneficial medicines, and potentially making some medicine free to patients with certain conditions, can be an effective method, according to the study authors.
The VBID plans were shown to improve adherence among patients without increasing the cost of insuring a patient. Although drug costs grew for insurers, the total price of insurance remained the same, which suggests that improved adherence results in less spending on other health care, according to the study.
Written by Gina Kokosky, Specialty Pharmacy Times
