Health
A Free Drug Experiment Bypasses the US Health System’s Secret Fees
- Blue Shield of California gets 90% off list price for Humira
- Insurer says ditching complex drug buying model saves money
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A top California health plan is set to offer one of the world’s biggest-selling drugs for free in a bid to show the medicine can reach Americans affordably without going through the middlemen that typically control its flow.
Blue Shield of California struck an unusual deal to buy a lower-cost version of Humira directly from a manufacturer, bypassing the giant pharmacy benefit managers that normally determine which maker’s drug will go to tens of millions Americans.