b'Natalie BlakeKasey Minnis Executive Director Executive DirectorOn Oct. 23 and 24, we were proud toregulation for Pharmacy Benet Managers. represent the MS community at the BIO PatientPBMsnegotiatedeepdiscountsondrug and Health Advocacy Summit in Washington,pricing for insurance, which are not passed D.C. There, patient advocates and healthon to consumers. advocacy nonprofits joined together with Eliminating the use of copay accumulators industry partners from the biotechnology eld(also called copay adjustment programs, or to discuss the challenges facing individualscopay maximizers). This unfair practice by with chronic illness and rare disease. insurers makes it so any manufacturer The rst sessions of the conference focusedassistance with copays does not count against on the effects of recent legislation, the Inationa consumers deductible or out-of-pocket costs. Reduction Act, drug development and Medicare. Regulating the use of step therapy, or fail While the act may have unintended consequencesrst requirements that can delay a person for rare disease research, it improves access forfrom getting on an effective treatment. people with Medicare coverage. Improvements Restricting alternative funding programs to Medicare include:a predatory practice where specialtyInsulin available at $35 a month per coveredmedications are eliminated from pharmacy prescription.benets, and consumers are forced to relyAccess to recommended adult vaccineson manufacturer help or overseas pharmacies without cost-sharing.to receive treatment, often with long delays.A yearly cap ($2,000 in 2025) on out-of-pocketWhat can you do to help with these issues?prescription drug costs in Medicare and the Reach out to your legislators and tell them introduction of cost smoothing, whichthe issues you are facing with insurance, allows out-of-pocket expenses to be spreadMedicare/Medicaid, or access to care. across the year. Research and show your support for relevantExpansion of the low-income subsidy programbills such as: (LIS or Extra Help) under Medicare Part D The ORPHAN Cures Act. to 150 percent of the federal poverty level The Safe Step Act. starting in 2024. Later sessions focused on efforts to regulate The Lower Cost, More Transparency Act. existing and emerging practices within the Share your story with uswe want to know insuranceindustrythatincreasecostsforhow these issues have affected you.consumers and reduce access to care. GoalsReach out to editor@msfocus.org to tell us include: about your experiences and concerns regardingIncreasing transparency and providingaccess to care. 5 msfocusmagazine.org'