60% of patients say they couldn’t afford their meds without copay assistance

Nearly half of patients and caregivers say they or someone in their immediate household has not been able to afford their out-of-pocket medication costs in the past year, according to survey results released May 19 by the National Hemophilia Foundation.

The survey garnered responses for more than 764 patients with at least one serious illness between Dec. 18, 2020, and Jan. 31.

Below are four of the survey's notable findings:

  1. Sixty-five percent of respondents reported using or having used copay assistance programs to afford their medications or treatments. Six in 10 respondents said they would have extreme difficulty affording their medications and treatments without such programs being applied to their out-of-pocket costs.

  2. Twenty percent of respondents who use copay assistance programs reported they have not been able to afford their medications or treatments because their assistance ran out.

  3. Ninety-three percent of respondents said the federal government should require pharmacies and health plans to count copay assistance programs towards patients' out-of-pocket costs. 

  4. Fifty-five percent of respondents with private health insurance coverage said they or their loved one has a high deductible health plan, with 69 percent of respondents who have private health insurance and an annual income under $40,000 saying this.

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