Independence Blue Cross, Excellus Hit Brakes on Some Accelerated Approval Drugs

  • Jan 09, 2025

    In a move that has raised the hackles of some stakeholders, Independence Blue Cross (IBX) on Jan. 1 implemented a policy stating that the Philadelphia-based health insurer will not cover nine drugs until 18 months after they received accelerated approval. And IBX does not appear to be the only Blue Cross Blue Shield carrier with such a policy.  

    IBX, for its part, argues that it is trying to ensure patients are getting only safe and effective treatments — which do not include drugs with minimal data verifying their value. 

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  • Leslie Small

    Leslie has been working in journalism since 2009 and reporting on the health care industry since 2014. She has covered the many ups and downs of the Affordable Care Act exchanges, the failed health insurer mega-mergers, and hundreds of other storylines spanning subjects such as Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage, employer-sponsored insurance, and prescription drug coverage. As the managing editor of Health Plan Weekly and Radar on Drug Benefits, she writes and edits for both publications while overseeing a small team of reporters who also focus on the managed care sector. Before joining AIS Health, she was a senior editor for the e-newsletter Fierce Health Payer, and she started her career as a copy editor at multiple local newspapers. She graduated with a dual degree in journalism and political science from Penn State University.

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