AJMC: Continuous reform needed to achieve pharmacoequity

The high cost of medications and the impact cost has on equitable access to treatment was the focus of a panel discussion at the recent Value-Based Insurance Design Summit, which was hosted at the University of Michigan’s V-BID Center. The conversation centered around pharmacoequity—which means “ensuring that all individuals, regardless of race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or availability of resources, have access to the highest-quality medications required to manage their health needs.

PAN’s Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Amy Niles was a featured panelist at event, sharing insights on the smoothing provision of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which will give people with Medicare Part D the option to pay for medications in monthly installments. She also discussed PAN’s latest research and polling on the need for charitable assistance after smoothing and other Medicare reforms take effect.

“There’s going to be continued need for financial assistance and…the PAN Foundation will continue to play a critical role providing the safety net,” she said.

The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) recapped the panel discussion in a recent article.