Access to affordable medications can play an important role in helping people achieve better health. As health care continues to evolve and new treatment options emerge, organizations across the health care system are exploring innovative ways to improve affordability, expand access and support better health outcomes.
Key findings from the CVS Caremark-Employee Benefit News (EBN) affordability study
New research from CVS Caremark and EBN found that more than 90% of employers are concerned about prescription drug costs, yet only 30% believe they have significant influence over pharmacy spending. The findings highlight a growing need for solutions that improve affordability without sacrificing access, quality, or innovation. Employers are increasingly looking to pharmacy benefits partners to help them manage rising costs while creating sustainable benefits for the future.
The damage is not simply the price of a single medication. Employers are navigating a prescription drug landscape shaped by specialty therapies, evolving patient needs and increasing expectations around transparency. As a result, affordability requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both what people pay at the pharmacy counter and what drives health care costs over time.
How CVS Caremark is improving prescription affordability
One way to improve affordability is by helping members save money on everyday prescriptions. Programs such as Caremark Cost Saver automatically compare a member's cost share with available discount pricing on eligible medications and apply the lower price when available. For people managing chronic conditions or taking multiple prescriptions, these savings can add up and help reduce barriers to staying on treatment.
Expanding access to lower-cost treatment options is another important part of improving affordability. Biosimilars, which are FDA-approved biologic products that are highly similar to brand biologic reference products that can help reduce costs while maintaining the same standards of safety and effectiveness. The CVS Caremark-EBN study found that employer interest in biosimilars continues to grow as organizations look for sustainable ways to manage pharmacy spending, reflecting broader efforts across health care to improve access to high-quality, lower-cost treatment options.
The EBN survey also found that employers want greater visibility into pharmacy spending, In fact, 87% identified cost transparency as one of the greatest opportunities for pharmacy benefit managers. Greater transparency can help employers better understand what drives costs, make more informed benefit decisions and plan for future investments with greater confidence.
To support those goals, CVS Caremark introduced TrueCost™, a pricing approach designed to provide acquisition-cost-based pricing and visibility into drug-level rebates. By giving employers a clearer view of pharmacy spending, the model helps create greater predictability while supporting more informed decision-making. Today, more than 90% of the CVS Caremark commercial book of business benefits from one or more TrueCost features.
What the study means for drug affordability and access
As health care continues to evolve, there is a tremendous opportunity to improve both affordability and access. By leveraging competition, innovation, clinical expertise and data-driven benefit strategies, health care organizations can help more people access the medications they need while managing costs. The result is a stronger prescription drug benefit experience that supports better health outcomes for members, employers, and communities alike.
