Express Scripts to Offer a Way to Lower Insulin Costs

Boxes of Eli Lilly's Humalog kwikpen insulin

Photo: Daniel Acker

 Since the latest steps by a healthcare company are to curb drug costs, one of the largest managers of prescription-drug benefits will begin to limit the amount of out-of-pocket clients pay for their insulin. 

Express Scripts, a pharmacy-benefit manager owned by Cigna Corp., stated that they will start offering employers, labor unions and other clients the option of a $25 cap a month for any out-of-pocket costs that diabetics pay to fill their insulin prescriptions. If the cap is picked up by employers, it would save the average patient $15 a month. If the cap is picked up by employers, the patients who are under a typical health plan could save more than $15 a month. 

This offer would include all insulin types, including those made by Eli Lilly & Co., Novo Nordisk A/S, and Sanofi SA, the biggest makers of diabetic drugs. Offering this cap helps make the medicine accessible and affordable to patients.

After receiving criticism from doctors, patients and lawmakers for raising prices, Eli Lilly & Co., Novo Nordisk made it their duty to lower the prices of insulin, a diabetic drug. In the last month, Lilly stated that it would launch a generic version of the drug Humalog, a type of insulin, at half the list price of the brand-name product. 

I chose this topic because, coming from a family with diabetes, this price of insulin directly affects my family. Individuals with diabetes need insulin; yet, many of them are not able to afford it because of the price. Healthcare companies trying to lower the cost of insulin is related to the marketing concept because it will increase the number of consumers the company has. If the consumers are increased, the companies selling the insulin drug will increase too. The integrity of the companies selling insulin was severely hurt when they received criticism for increasing the price of the drug; however, if the companies are able to lower the price of the drug, they will show their true values and intentions as a company. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/express-scripts-to-offer-a-way-to-lower-insulin-costs-11554287732?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1