Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) revealed today that spending on branded specialty drugs – those used to treat complex, chronic health conditions that can require special handling, administration or monitoring – increased by 62.3% between 2013 and 2017. While those specialty drugs represent between 4-6% of prescriptions issued for branded drugs, they account for between 32% and 44% of the total spend on branded drugs. Prescription costs overall now account for 29% on average of Horizon’s total health care spending and are rising faster than any other component of claims (physician services, inpatient, outpatient, prescriptions) driven by the substantial increase in spending on these branded specialty drugs. ... |