2023 Outlook: Specialty Drug Tiering, Indication Expansions, IRA Are Some Issues to Watch

Paying for specialty drugs continues to be a top concern for U.S. payers, and employers are utilizing various strategies to try to get a handle on their costs. Some relief should come, at least for Medicare, with the Inflation Reduction Act, which will start to have an impact this year as CMS names its top medications for negotiations on Sept. 1. AIS Health, a division of MMIT, spoke with multiple industry experts about what they’re expecting to see in 2023.

AIS Health: What are some specialty pharmacy issues to keep an eye on in 2023, and why?

Elan Rubinstein, Pharm.D., principal at EB Rubinstein Associates: Increasing acceptance of biosimilars by prescribers and patients may give payers confidence to implement coverage mandates and benefit designs that advantage their use.