Copay Accumulator Programs: Effective Tool for Managing Costs or Barrier to Patient Access?

Speaker: Bruce Feinberg, Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions

In an attempt to manage high costs, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have assigned many specialty drugs to the highest copayment tier. Pharmacautical companies have responded by offering copay assistance programs to offset a portion of the patient’s out-of-pocket expenses using copay coupons or vouchers.  PBMs, in turn, have recently launched “copay accumulator programs,” which seek to limit the impact of manufacturers’ coupons by not counting the value of the coupon toward the patient’s deductible. As a result, the industry is now engaged in an intensifying debate about whether these programs help to reduce waste and overall drug spending by discouraging patients from taking expensive brand name drugs unnecessarily, or if they add financial burdens onto patients and potentially reduce adherence rates and diminish outcomes. In this session, Dr Feinberg will explore both sides of the debate.

Dr Feinberg serves as Chief Medical Officer for Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions. He was previously the founder and CEO of Georgia Cancer Specialists (GCS), one of the largest integrated oncology specialty practices in the southeastern United States. He maintains his license as a board certified medical oncologist in Georgia, where he practiced for 25 years after completing his fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. A highly sought-after speaker, Dr Feinberg is the author of the bestselling Breast Cancer Answer and is also host of The Weekly Check-Up on Atlanta’s WSB Radio.