Insurers have begun easing restrictions on refills of some prescription drugs, in light of coronavirus. Still, co-pays for stocking up on that bigger supply can be prohibitive, say consumer advocates.
Lawmakers Thursday passed a bill to rein in drug costs. President Trump has vowed to veto it. But the plan shares a lot with other bipartisan efforts. Here's how it would work.
Drug combinations can cause side effects like confusion and dizziness — and even increase the risk for falls. Here's how to talk to your doctor about reducing or eliminating some prescriptions.
Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is making the case for bipartisan legislation to lower seniors' drug costs. Many Republicans oppose it over free market principles.
Health and Human Services outlined two pathways for importing the drugs to the U.S., a plan Secretary Alex Azar says is intended to "lower prices and reduce out of pocket costs for American patients."
The Trump administration wants to increase transparency in prescription drug pricing. But health economists say the administration's call to tie prices to what other nations pay might work better.
Critics question claims by federal officials that CanaRX jeopardizes patient safety. Many U.S. companies, cities, counties and school districts rely on the firm to help employees get cheaper medicine.
Faced with high U.S. prices for prescription drugs, some Americans cross the border to buy insulin pens and other meds. At least 1 insurer reimburses flights to the border to make such purchases easy.
A recent study shows the cost of brand-name drugs is rising — not because of expensive new therapies entering the market but because manufacturers are raising prices on existing drugs.
Booker is introducing a bill this week in response to an investigation by the Center for Public Interest and NPR. He calls drug firms' infiltration into Medicaid's decision process "nefarious."
A third of people under 35 said cost led them to put off some form of health care, compared with only 8 percent of people 65 and older, a poll by NPR and IBM Watson Health found.
Many people at high risk for HIV can't afford PrEP, though it's more than 90 percent effective if taken daily. Its list price, close to $2,000 for a 30-day supply, has risen 45 percent in six years.
Some health plans are refusing to count the copayment assistance offered by drugmakers as part of a patient's deductible. That means some patients are paying thousands of dollars more out-of-pocket.
U.S. law prohibits people on Medicare from using the discount coupons the makers of expensive medicines offer. The law aims to reduce federal drug spending and Medicare fraud, but can feel unfair.
Many surgeons prescribe strong pain medicine without knowing how much their patients actually need. A group of doctors says hospitals should be accountable for patients' long-term opioid use.
The latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll finds that one-third of people say they're stopped taking a prescription drug without telling their doctor. And that could be putting their health at risk.
People who live in the Aloha State are less likely to use opioid painkillers or be prescribed antibiotics than are mainland dwellers. Healthy lifestyles have a lot to do with that.
Texas public health officials are looking ahead to meeting health needs in the days and weeks ahead, including getting prescriptions to people displaced to shelters.
These two older drugs, nitroprusside and isoproterenol, are frequently used in emergency and intensive care situations and have no direct alternatives, say cardiologists.
Many people with Alzheimer's suffer medical and mental health issues that have nothing to do with memory loss, including slow healing, incontinence, paranoia and depression.
