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UnitedHealthcare starting next year will stop charging a co-pay to its fully-insured members for several critical medicines including insulin, the company announced during an earnings call Friday.
Why it matters: Out-of-pocket costs have led many patients to ration live-saving drugs and become sicker as a result.
- Insulin also been a flashpoint in the debate over drug price reform in Congress in recent years.
Details: The initiative to offer the point-of-sale discount is supported by UnitedHealthcare's pharmacy benefit manager Optum Rx.
- It includes critical medicines on the company's preferred drug list including insulin, epinephrine for severe allergic reactions and albuterol for acute asthma attacks.
What they're saying: "While this is an important step for vulnerable people’s health, the larger and longer-term cost containment of drugs depends upon manufacturers restraining and lowering the list prices of their products – which is the fundamental driver of costs," UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said.