Policy Issues - NYSCOP - New York State Conference of BlueCross BlueShield Plans

TAXES

Burdensome Health Insurance Taxes

Taxes on health insurance have grown dramatically over the last 20 years – now totaling $5.57 billion. With employers responsible for a significant portion of the private health insurance premiums, the state taxes on private coverage are viewed as “hidden” business taxes. They are already the largest business tax that employers and individuals pay. PDF version

DRUG COSTS

Rising Cost of Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug costs continue to be a major driver of health insurance costs. While the huge spikes in the cost of some drugs, like the EpiPen, are well known, drug costs continue to rise due to extremely high initial pricing, unpredictable price hikes, and efforts to dissuade the use of more cost-efficient, quality alternatives such as generic medications.

NYSCOP supports measures aimed at addressing the impact drug costs are having on insurance premiums. These proposals include:

– Shedding light how much drug manufacturers spend on researching, developing, producing and distributing drugs compared to the billions of dollars spent on marketing, advertising, and promotional efforts such as co-pay coupons;
– Understanding how much profit drug companies are making on the various products; and
– Restoring tools that allow health plans to ensure consumers are using effective, affordable drugs to counteract aggressive marketing of unnecessary, high cost drugs.

View relevant documents:

– A Simple Truth: Prescription Drug Costs Are Too High
News Release | Infographic
– Curbing Opioid Abuse Starts With Educating Patients and Prescribers Of Risks
News Release | Infographic
– The Facts About Pharmacies and Prescription Drugs
– Prescriber Prevails for Medicaid Managed Care Legislative Memo
– Mail Order Pharmacy Legislative Memo