PAN announces opposition to alternative funding programs

JUNE 13, 2023

The PAN Foundation today announced opposition to alternative funding programs, which jeopardize patient access to specialty medications and redirect finite charitable funds away from uninsured and underinsured patients.

We urge Congress and the administration to learn about the growing use of alternative funding programs, understand their detrimental impact on patients, and evaluate options to discontinue their use. We must work together to ensure that all patients can access and afford their prescribed medications, specialty or otherwise.

Health plan sponsors, like employers that fund their own health coverage, may use alternative funding programs to save money by excluding some or all specialty medications from coverage, deeming them a non-essential health benefit. Since the health plan does not cover these specialty medications, a patient’s out-of-pocket spending will not count toward their annual deductible. Patients are then directed to alternative funding programs—also known as specialty drug carve out programs— operated by vendors that are separate from their health plan and are not health insurance.

Read complete update HERE.