Why Not the Best? Or, at Least, Why Not the Same?
The U.S. Medicaid program is likely paying far more than necessary for medications and not offering patients the most effective ones available, by ignoring international evidence-based lists of safe and effective medications, according to a new study by researchers at UCSF.
“The United States has 51 different lists of medications that are paid for by Medicaid, and only a third of those medications consistently appear on the various lists,” said Lisa A. Bero, PhD, a professor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy. “This research suggests that Medicaid could save significant money and also provide safer and more effective medications for patients by using a more consistent approach to deciding which drugs will be covered.”
Full article on how the U.S. Medicaid program is ignoring international, evidence-based lists of safe and effective medications.
Interesting article. I hope the situation will be remedied, but I’m not holding my breath.
Medicaid is a state run program, and a national formulary could be an issues of state rights. However, it should be simple enough for states to follow the WHO recommendations and reduce expenditures.
Hardly the innovative health management that anyone else would want to copy.
Hmm. The article points out that Medicaid is a program administered by the States of the US, not the Federal Government, which provides the majority of the funds used.
It seems that the states don’t have the expertise to administer these programs properly. Perhaps the drug companies, who are interested in selling their own medications, have too much influence over these lists. That would be the first logical place to look for an explanation of what drugs get covered.
I don’t know whether a federal list would help. The drug companies had enough leverage to prevent the Federal Government from negotiating prices on part D of Medicare, which is costing the taxpayers and beneficiaries a lot of money.
It would be interesting to look at employer provided insurance and Medicare, to see if things are any different there.