According to a new Morning Consult/PhRMA poll of more than 20,000 Americans, with insights reflective of all 50 states and 435 congressional districts, Americans want policymakers to address harmful insurer and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices that limit their access to new medicines and treatments.
Here are four key takeaways from a poll of all 50 states:
1. Americans cite out-of-pocket insurance costs and premiums as most pressing health care issues.
- Two-in-three (68%) adults believe that health insurance coverage getting more expensive and covering less is a larger problem than the cost of prescription drugs.
- When thinking about the most important health care issues specifically, out-of-pocket health care costs and premiums top the list (31% and 27%, respectively).
2. When it comes to health care, Americans are concerned about harmful practices insurers and PBMs impose on patients.
- 82% of Americans are concerned that over half of every dollar spent on medicines goes to PBMs, payers and other stakeholders, not the companies who made them.
- 81% are concerned that PBMs profit off of financial assistance that is intended to help patients [access and] afford the medicine they need, or block people from using this assistance altogether.
- 81% are concerned that PBMs are paid based on the price of a medicine rather than a flat fee based on their services; experts have noted this may incentivize PBMs to favor higher-priced medicines over lower-cost alternatives that could save patients money.
- 81% are concerned that PBMs influence what medicines patients get and control what patients pay at the pharmacy.
- In fact, over half (54%) of adults say they have experienced some sort of insurance barrier such as prior authorization or formulary exclusion in the past year.
3. As a result, Americans express strong support for holding insurers and PBMs responsible.
- A strong majority of Americans (86%) agree lowering out-of-pocket costs for health care should be a top priority for policymakers.
- 84% agree policymakers should focus on cracking down on abusive practices by health insurance companies and other middlemen that make it harder to get the care they need.
4. Americans favor patient-centered solutions that actually address their health care concerns.
- 80% of Americans favor requiring health insurance companies and their middlemen to pass the rebates and discounts they receive directly to patients at the pharmacy counter, so no patient has to pay more for their prescription medicines than their insurance company.
- 77% favor requiring health insurance companies and their middlemen to count patient assistance, such as copay coupons, toward the deductible [and out-of-pocket maximum].
- 72% favor requiring middlemen to be paid based on the services they provide instead of the price of a medicine, fixing the potential incentive for middlemen to favor high-priced medicines.
It’s not surprising that three-in-five (62%) Americans are also more likely to support a policymaker who worked on solutions that targeted PBMs and lowered out-of-pocket health care costs for patients. Heading into the November elections, Americans want policymakers to address their real pain points and work towards solutions that hold big insurers and their PBM accountable.
For more on the survey, click here.
Check out PhRMA.org/Polling and PhRMA.org/Middlemen to learn more.
