Co-pay card adjustment programs: How do they affect patients, payers, and pharma?

“Co-pay cards” (or “co-pay coupons”) are financial assistance programs from drug manufacturers (pharma) that drastically reduce the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for someone who needs an expensive medication. These programs are controversial: Pharma and patients believe that these programs allow sick people to afford the medications they need. Healthcare payers (ie, insurance companies or their pharmacy…