Asthma inhaler switch to cause major disruption as Biden rules come into effect

[corbe]

Asthma inhaler switch to cause major disruption as Biden rules come into effect

by Gabrielle M. Etzel, Healthcare Reporter
December 29, 2023 10:37 AM

Many users of a common asthma inhaler are poised to lose it in the new year, possibly due to changes to Medicaid rebate rules from the Biden administration.

GSK, manufacturer of the popular branded asthma treatment Flovent, announced in June that it would begin making only an "authorized generic" version of the product starting in 2024.

Flovent HFA and Flovent Diskus have been the most commonly used inhaler medicines for asthma since the early 2000s, and they are the first-line treatment for pediatric asthma cases.

Doctors are worried that switching from brand name to generic will cause a lapse in patient care since the generic medication is not as widely covered by insurance plans.

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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/asthma-inhaler-switch-to-cause-major-disruption-as-biden-rules-come-into-effect

[Polly Ticks]

Doctors are worried that switching from brand name to generic will cause a lapse in patient care since the generic medication is not as widely covered by insurance plans.

That is weird, stupid, and not fiscally responsible of Medicaid. Almost all commercial insurance plans require you to use a generic version of a medication if there is one available.

[mountaineer]

That is weird, stupid, and not fiscally responsible of Medicaid. Almost all commercial insurance plans require you to use a generic version of a medication if there is one available.

Yeah, that puzzled me. I thought 1) generics were cheaper, therefore 2) insurance companies preferred to cover them over the name-brand version.