Drug Costs Soar for Multiple Sclerosis Patients on Medicare

Over the course of a decade, out-of-pocket costs for multiple sclerosis drugs rose more than sevenfold for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, according to a JAMA Neurology study published today by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.

Using Medicare claims data from 2006-2016, the researchers looked at trends in multiple sclerosis drug prices over time. Not only did they find steep increases in list prices — the starting point before rebates, coupons or insurance kicks in — but also in the ultimate costs to both Medicare and its recipients.

“We wanted to see how increases in list prices translated to increases in out-of-pocket spending, and we discovered that actual price increases do get passed down to patients, and that can negatively affect access,” said study senior author Inmaculada Hernandez, Pharm.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacy at Pitt.

Several drugs on the market reduce the frequency and severity of multiple sclerosis flare-ups, which can involve a variety of disabling neurological symptoms, such as vision loss, pain, fatigue and muscle weakness.

From 2006-2016, the annual list prices of these drugs more than quadrupled, ballooning from about $18,000 to nearly $76,000 per patient per year.