More employers are using cost sharing as a utilization management tool in their prescription drug programs, according to a recent survey by Buck Consultants. Seventy-six percent of employers surveyed use cost sharing, up from 51 percent last year.
The survey found almost all employers surveyed (99 percent) offered prescription drug coverage, citing employee health and business competitiveness as the top reasons. To control costs, employers are going beyond prescription drug coverage. Care management, disease management, and low-cost generic pricing programs from retail pharmacy chains were cited in the survey.
