As part of our ongoing efforts to improve access and make prescription drugs more affordable, UnitedHealthcare announced it will eliminate out-of-pocket costs in standard, fully insured group plans for certain preferred, life-saving prescription drugs. This new standard offering will be available to group fully insured plans from in-network pharmacies, potentially as early as Jan. 1, 2023.
Five preferred emergency use medications will have a $0 cost share:
Insulin for diabetes
Epinephrine for severe allergic reactions
Glucagon for hypoglycemia
Naloxone for opioid overdoses
Albuterol for acute asthma attacks
“High prices are a significant barrier to prescription drugs for many people, so we are using our unique capabilities to deliver savings for consumers,” said Brian Thompson, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare. “We are doing what we can to shield people from the prices set by pharmaceutical companies, and hope all stakeholders also will act to make prescription drugs more affordable.”
Brian Thompson
Chief Executive Officer
UnitedHealthcare
“High prices are a significant barrier to prescription drugs for many people, so we are using our unique capabilities to deliver savings for consumers... we are doing what we can to shield people from the prices set by pharmaceutical companies, and hope all stakeholders also will act to make prescription drugs more affordable.”
Brian Thompson Chief Executive Officer, UnitedHealthcare
Insulin
The cost of insulin has steadily increased over time, making it one of the most costly prescription drugs on the market.
For some, these price increases may be putting the drug out of reach or causing people to make difficult — sometimes unsafe — decisions. With more than 34 million Americans currently living with diabetes and 1.5 million diagnosed every year, there needs to be a solution to help more people have access to affordable insulin.
UnitedHealthcare is committed to helping members manage their chronic conditions, like diabetes, with strategies that include access to affordable prescription drugs such as insulin.
See our 2021 Sustainability Report to learn more about our efforts to make health care more affordable by lowering drug costs, advancing value-based care models, and providing price transparency tools that make it easier for people to access high-quality care.
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