Express Scripts launched a program to cap diabetes medication costs in 2020 and since then has seen notable increases in adherence and cost savings, the company said Thursday.
The pharmacy benefit manager's Patient Assurance program caps the cost of insulin for eligible members at $25 for a 30-day supply. It was later expanded to other diabetes medications including DPP-4 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists.
Evernorth, Express Scripts' parent company, released new data Thursday that found Type 2 diabetes patients enrolled in the program improved adherence to their treatments by 2.5% in 2021. In households earning less than $50,000 per year, adherence improved by 5.7%.
The study also found that the 220,000 patients enrolled last year received $42.7 million in total financial relief.
“For people with diabetes, medication is essential. Whether traditional insulin or non-insulin diabetes treatment, missing one dose of any medication can be dangerous for their health and lead to costly and complex outcomes," Christine Gilroy, M.D., chief medical officer at Express Scripts, told Fierce Healthcare.
"And yet, the cost of treatment has led some patients to make financial sacrifices to afford what they are prescribed or even ration their medication," she said.
In 2022, Express Scripts expects savings to reach $60 million with new cardiovascular medications included in the program, according to the study.
Total cost of diabetes care for those in the program decreased by 50.5%. In addition, costs to plan sponsors decreased in tandem, the study found, with total medical cost related to diabetes 16.3% lower on average.
Lower outpatient, inpatient and emergency costs drove much of the savings, according to the study.