Epilepsy, Medicare, and Brand-name prescriptions

Medicare Brand-name prescriptions and epilepsy  People with epilepsy should sit up and pay attention.My information was compiled from  the Associated Press,The Washington Post, The Bennington Banner(Vermont),  and Fox News . Distressingly,  It was the same from all  sources. This points to its being from the Associated Press.

11/16/2011

"Copays for brand-name drugs are going up — sharply in some cases.

Copays for preferred brand-name drugs will increase by 40 percent on average next year,(2012) and non-preferred brands will average nearly 30 percent more, according to the study by Avalere Health. Copays are the portion of the cost of each prescription that the customer pays the pharmacy.

Avalere, a data analysis firm that serves industry and government, says its findings show that Medicare prescription plans are steadily shifting costs to chronically ill patients who need more expensive kinds of medications. At the same time, the plans are trying to keep costs in check for the majority whose conditions can be managed with less-expensive generics.

Beneficiaries will also pay a bigger share of the cost of specialty drugs, which can exceed $1,000 or more per prescription. The share for 2012 averages about 32 percent, up from 27 percent this year.

Avalere's findings show that Medicare prescription plans are steadily shifting costs to patients who need more expensive kinds of medications, while trying to keep costs in check for those whose conditions can be managed with less-expensive generics.
Avalere found that copays for generic drugs will remain stable or decline.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/16/higher-copays-expected-for-medicare-brand-name-drugs-study-finds/#ixzz1edSA8LsM

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/16/higher-copays-expected-for-medicare-brand-name-drugs-study-finds/#ixzz1edRoanSG