Studies from Harvard University Provide New Data on Biosimilars (Benefit Design and Biosimilar Coverage In Medicare Part D: Evidence and Implications From Recent Reforms): Drugs and Therapies – Biosimilars

2024 JUL 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- A new study on Drugs and Therapies - Biosimilars is now available. According to news reporting originating in Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “There is substantial disparity between Medicare Part D and employer-sponsored health insurance plans in the coverage of biosimilars and their reference biologics. These disparities may be due to design elements of Part D plans that encourage the adoption of more expensive biologic drugs.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Harvard University, “We undertook several analyses to illustrate the dynamics of benefit design incentives over time, compare formulary coverage in Part D plans with that of employer-sponsored plans, and study how the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 affected Part D formulary coverage. Using these analyses of Part D reforms enacted through the Bipartisan Budget Act, we discuss the implications of elements of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that will be implemented in 2025. Biosimilar coverage increased by 23 percentage points five quarters after the Bipartisan Budget Act was implemented. We predict that the Inflation Reduction Act will also have a positive effect on biosimilar coverage.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Given ample evidence of a relationship between drug coverage and utilization, our results suggest that Medicare patients and the federal government could realize substantial savings if Part D formularies resembled those of employer-sponsored plans.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Benefit Design and Biosimilar Coverage In Medicare Part D: Evidence and Implications From Recent Reforms. Health Affairs, 2024;43(5):717-724. Health Affairs can be contacted at: Project Hope, 7500 Old Georgetown Rd, Ste 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-6133, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Luca Main, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02163, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.01297. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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