Balancing heart health and a prescription budget isn’t easy. Find out if there’s relief on the horizon and how to take the burden off your wallet now.
Prescription drugs are costly, putting pressure (and financial strain) on more than 18 million Americans who struggle with heart disease. Cardiovascular complications are the world’s deadliest health issues and account for 1 out of every 4 deaths annually, or one person every 36 seconds. The good news is that reducing the out-of-pocket costs for these much-needed medications isn’t just a public hope.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending significant public health policy and program changes to make more affordable heart medications a reality. This article will look at the CDC’s stance on discounted heart disease medicine and other factors that can reduce the expense.
Heart disease medications are among the most expensive
The importance of reducing the cost of heart medications can be put into perspective by a quick look at ever-increasing price tags. The A to Z list of cardiovascular medications is as extensive as the people who rely on them. This WebMD list covers just some of them. Our earlier blog reported that another two heart disease medications called Vyndaqel and Vyndamax will increase in price by 4.4% in 2022.
This is a significant price hike that becomes even more so when we consider that tafamidis (which is the active ingredient of both Vyndamax and Vyndaqel) became the most expensive cardiovascular medication in history in 2020.
While it’s true that not all heart medications are in a high-cost bracket and that many heart disease patients do have health insurance to cushion the financial blow, there are still around 28 million uninsured people without any coverage. Even those with a health plan could be left paying thousands of dollars a year in health care costs in some cases. Some will have high deductibles, leaving them with high medical bills, or find the medication they need is not covered on their insurance plan’s formulary.
These numbers drive many to forego prescriptions entirely, split doses, or stagger whatever doses they can afford because of the financial hardship. Such dangerous choices are being forced on 1 in 8 Americans dealing with common heart disease, which highlights how badly people need help with their medication costs.
How the CDC plans to make heart medication affordable
The CDC’s call for affordable heart medication is designed to increase the availability of certain drugs and improve and promote prescription adherence. Their approach includes numerous proposed methods such as:
-
eliminating all forms of out-of-pocket payments for generic medications
-
expanding existing coverage for patients dealing with hyperlipidemia and hypertension (high blood pressure)
-
creating new insurance coverage for them
If this healthcare system intervention is implemented successfully, it could dramatically reduce public levels of hypertension and high cholesterol - both of which are risk factors for heart attacks and heart failure. One Californian study has shown extremely promising results in the past.
The study proves that two of the CDC’s proposed health policies – eliminating copays and introducing a new treatment model – saw an extra 200,000 people gain control over their cardiovascular issues, thus potentially reducing the number of heart attack patients and people requiring emergency care. This was a massive increase from 44% of patients to 90%.
More CDC suggestions and obstacles to fast progress
Some of the other CDC-approved moves toward more affordable heart medications and prescription adherence include:
-
calendar blister packs
-
fixed dose medication combinations to reduce out-of-pocket expenses by cutting down on the number of pills necessary
Unfortunately, the CDC isn’t the sole decision-maker for prescription cost reductions. Many parties must play a role for discounted heart disease medications to become more widespread.
These include insurance companies, healthcare providers, employers, and other government agencies. One or more of these not moving progressively with the others could mean lengthy delays until reduced out-of-pocket costs show up at the pharmacy.
So, it’s necessary for individuals to do everything they can to manage their condition and find discounted heart disease medication while the policy change moves forward.
How you can reduce the cost of heart medicines
The first step is to manage the condition as successfully as possible by following a heart-healthy diet and a responsible exercise program with regular physical activity. Investing in a home blood pressure monitor is a powerful self-management step that can catch negative health events before they worsen and become even more expensive. Owning a home cholesterol kit can be an equally smart financial move for hyperlipidemia patients.
The American Heart Association recommends that every adult over 20 years of age has their cholesterol checked by their primary care provider at least every four to six years. It also advises anyone taking tests at home to ensure they share the results with their physician.
Increasing your knowledge regarding the cardiovascular diseases that affect you is the next step toward preventative care and, hopefully, the need for less medication and a lower cost of care. Our previous blog on finding discounted medications recommends:
-
looking for discounts on new medications
-
checking to see if you meet certain criteria for further reductions
-
comparing pharmacy prices
How ModRN Health can help with medication prices and self-education
Achieving better health through increased knowledge and effective price comparison are just two benefits ModRN Health can provide for cardiovascular patients. We assist millions of people in finding the best prescription deals at the outlets nearest to them.
Staying connected to our knowledge base and other resources will provide more information on whatever medical issues impact you (and how to manage them) alongside important health news on current medical and prescription matters.
Open a free account today to learn more about what we can do.
