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Curbing specialty drug spending: Where to start?

Pharma and specialty drugs are among the top targets of employers attempting to rein in their health care spending. But what's the best approach?

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Drug vials This isn’t just a blip on the the radar, or a dastardly plot by the pharma industry to increase profits; it’s an evolution of how drugs are used to treat patients. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Ask any employer and they’ll tell you the same thing: pharmacy spending is eating up a bigger portion of their health care budgets, specialty drugs in particular. In fact, last year Cigna saw drugs and biologics comprise 26 percent of medical spending for Cigna, making it the top contributor to costs.

“That trend is expected to continue out into the future,” Cigna VP of value-based partnerships Thomas Stambaugh told attendees at a recent webinar hosted by EBRI. “We expect that by 2020, pharma will be 31 percent of our total cost.”

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Emily Payne

Emily Payne

Emily Payne is managing editor at BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she spent the past eight years writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.

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