Payers Are Taking Steps to Manufacture Cheaper, More Accessible Generic Medications

The state of California announced last week that it would become the first state to manufacture its own insulin, while a payer-owned coalition said it would distribute its initial generic medication later this summer. Taken together, the moves show that some payers, be they the government or health insurers, are serious about reining in the costs of generics and dealing with inefficiencies in the pharmaceutical supply chain, according to health policy and drug pricing experts who spoke with AIS Health, a division of MMIT. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) revealed the insulin plans on July 7 via a video on Twitter, keeping to a promise he had first made in 2019 when he was elected to office. The announcement followed the news in June that EmsanaRx became the first PBM to join CivicaScript, a company founded two years ago by a consortium of payers that is aiming to manufacture and lower the cost of generic medications in outpatient settings. In addition, Navitus Health Solutions, a startup PBM that touts a 100% pass through model, joined the CivicaScript partnership on July 13.