Dr John Bennett's Unique Perspective on Rising Drug Costs

Being a physician as well as a leader of a health insurance plan has provided John Bennett, MD, FACC, FACP, president and CEO of CDPHP, with a unique perspective on rising drug costs.

Transcript (modified)

Does being a physician as well as a leader of a health insurance plan give you a unique view on the impact that rising drug costs are having on consumers and patients?

I think it does. I think I saw firsthand, practicing cardiology for nearly 30 years, what happens when patients can’t afford their medications. I saw the effects that it has not only on morbidity but on mortality as well.

How does the CDPHP work to accommodate rising drug costs?

Well, CDPHP is trying very hard to ensure that our members have access to the appropriate medications. And so we have very intensive efforts around medication therapy management. We have embedded pharmacists in a lot of our primary care practices to work with our members, to help them be on the right medications at the right doses, work with them on scheduling times, work with them to avoid duplicate medications, and also work with them to find whatever sources they can to afford these very expensive medications.

We’re also working with our pharmacy benefit manager, of course, to try and lower the unit cost of these medications because the price of these medications is really the fundamental problem that we face today. And our role is in getting the best price we can for our members.