A huge shock to the system’: Doctors warn about asthma inhaler switch coming in January

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/28/health/asthma-inhaler-generic-switch/index.html

What are the chances that GSK consulted with the major health insurers before declaring that this long-prescribed medication would migrate to generic status (and apparently no longer qualify automatically for full insurance coverage)?

Secondary citation to the U.S. government, for application of the Law of Unintended Consequences:

“Until now, the [Medicaid] rebates were capped at the total price of a drug, so manufacturers would never pay more than a drug costs back to Medicaid.

But under a provision in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, that limit was removed, and starting January 1, 2024, drugs that have been subject to large price increases over time could end up incurring rebates to Medicaid that are greater than their price — meaning pharmaceutical companies would sell those drugs to Medicaid at a loss.”

It may take a village to raise a child, but a catastrophic set of consumer-hostile circumstances can only be created by a cluster of government, insurers, and pharma.