The EACH/PIC Coalition has released an updated, patient-led analysis that sheds light on how people across the U.S. actually experience prescription drug affordability – and what kinds of policy changes patients believe could help resolve the financial hardships they face.
Unlike traditional cost reviews that focus narrowly on list prices, this ‘Version 2.0 Patient Experience Survey’ captures the real-world stories and perspectives of patients living with chronic and serious health conditions. The findings make it clear that:
- Affordability is personal and context-driven. Patients describe affordability based on whether they can consistently obtain their medications within their household budget, not on a fixed price tag.
- Insurance rules strongly influence access. Coverage denials, utilization management, and changing cost-sharing requirements are often central to patients’ struggles – sometimes more so than drug price alone.
- Financial assistance matters. Continuous access to assistance programs often determines whether a treatment feels affordable, while interruptions in support frequently trigger hardship.
- Non-medical switching causes harm. Patients emphasize that forced switches between medications for cost reasons can lead to disease flares, side effects, and worse health outcomes.
Based on direct patient input, the report outlines policy recommendations aimed at improving real-world affordability and continuity of care, including:
• Making out-of-pocket costs more predictable for patients.
• Protecting and expanding access to financial support and ensuring assistance counts toward deductibles and maximums.
• Limiting insurance practices like non-medical switching and excessive utilization management.
• Addressing systemic incentives that raise costs without improving care, such as misaligned pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices.
Affordability isn’t just a price – it’s a lived experience. The EACH/PIC Coalition invites policymakers, advocates, and the public to read and share this report to help shape patient-centered solutions that improve access to needed treatments.
Read the full report and findings at Patient Experience, Revisited: What Patients Say About Prescription Drug Affordability and Policies to Resolve Patient Hardships | EACH/PIC Coalition