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The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 On November 14, 2022, TrialCard filed an amicus brief in support of Pfizer’s bid to challenge U.S. anti-kickback laws. Johnson & Johnson and PhRMA also filed amicus briefs in support of this cause. Currently, U.S. kickbacks laws prohibit pharmaceutical companies from paying patient copays in government healthcare programs. Pfizer is asking the Supreme Court to decide whether its prospective program to help Medicare patients pay out-of-pocket costs for its drugs, Vyndaqel and Vyndamax, would run afoul of federal anti-kickback [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 On June 7, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it would conduct an inquiry into some of the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) impacting affordability of prescription drugs and ordered the six largest PBMs to provide information and records to the Commission. This inquiry came after multiple complaints about PBM practices from both patients and healthcare professionals. Lina M. Khan, FTC Chair, said: “Although many people have never heard of pharmacy benefit managers, these [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 U.S. District Court Strikes Down 2023 CMS Final Rule on Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Coupons and Best Price On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a Memorandum Opinion granting a motion for summary judgment for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) in its case challenging the CMS Final Rule on manufacturer copay offers and Best Price. As a result, the rule – previously scheduled to go into effect [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 Solving the Copay and Best Price Challenge By Jason Zemcik, Vice President, Patient Affordability, TrialCard No problem has frustrated biopharma patient support leaders more in the past year than the CMS Final Rule on manufacturer coupons and Best Price. The potential impact of this rule has been the subject of controversy, internal and external assessments, and an ongoing legal challenge. As the January 1, 2023 effective date draws near, industry leaders are facing a decision point [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 On January 19, 2022, TrialCard filed an amicus curiae brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in support of Plaintiff Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America's (PhRMA) lawsuit challenging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding pharmaceutical manufacturer coupon programs and Best Price. CMS's final rule fundamentally threatens access to pharmaceutical therapy and undermines patient affordability of those therapies. The consequences of the rule for patients will [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 Author: Jason Zemcik, Vice President, Patient Affordability Practice Lead at TrialCard Co-pay accumulators, maximizers, and the forthcoming impact of the CMS Final Rule on Best Price dominated the co-pay assistance landscape in 2021 as chief concerns among brands across all therapeutic classes and life cycle stages. I participated in 211 meetings with pharmaceutical manufacturer clients throughout the year, an indicator of how invested the industry is in understanding and solving the associated challenges. Here are the [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 Drug Channels guest post. TrialCard's Bill Dupere and Eric Willis discuss the complexities of digital patient support program technologies and introduce TrialCard’s integrated suite of solutions. Patient support program (PSP) requirements must evolve to support the increased complexity and considerations of coverage requirements for new therapies. Historically we commonly think of “hubs” as the central coordinating center for all services for enrolled patients. While still true today, the modern approach to PSPs encompasses the digital source [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 Policy Reporter’s goal is to improve patient access to life-changing therapeutics, devices, and diagnostics through a proven, vetted, and collaborative process of payer intelligence and advocacy. Our clients have access to real-time policy, coverage, and prior authorization data that’s proven to enhance market access strategies. A starting point for our clients (especially when FDA approval is pending) is our Predictive Payer Coverage Solution, offered through our suite of market access tools. One of our clients—a major [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 Produced in conjunction with Drug Channels. Healthcare in the U.S. is rife with process inefficiencies and structural barriers that can prevent individuals from receiving necessary therapeutic care. The key “P” stakeholders – patients, providers, pharmacies, payers/PBMs, and pharma – all share the goal of optimal outcomes, but their respective definitions of value-based outcomes may differ.  To address these considerations, patient access professionals like TrialCard use frameworks to design, implement, and operate manufacturers’ patient support programs (PSPs) [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 The global pandemic has impacted nearly every facet of life for all of us and has dramatically changed healthcare systems. In the past 12 months, patients and providers have struggled to adapt to the modifications in how we produce, deliver, and provide access to treatment. Today, more than a year after the first cases of COVID-19 surfaced in the United States, those challenges are still present, and as a result, we have seen a rapid increase [...]