Visante: Reconsidering Drug Prices, Rebates, and PBMs

The Visante study highlights top selling Medicare Part D brand-name drugs with steady price increases and no change in rebate levels over a five-year period from 2012 to 2017. In addition, the study analyzes a number of Medicare Part B drugs, which have no PBM rebates, and large price increases.

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Key findings include:

  • Among the top-selling brands in Medicare Part D, there is no correlation between growing prices set by drugmakers and the change in rebate levels that they negotiate with PBMs.
  • Rebates may go up or down, but manufacturer prices only go up.
  • Prices on drugs with smaller rebates increased during the 2012–2017 period.
  • A large number of prescription drugs with “extraordinary” price increases are in Medicare Part B, where PBM tools are not used.