Cigna
to end OxyContin painkiller coverage, signs contract for alternative
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[October 05, 2017] By
Deena Beasley
(Reuters) - Amid a growing U.S. opioid
addiction, health insurer Cigna Corp will stop covering OxyContin, the
opioid painkiller sold by Purdue Pharma LP, as of Jan. 1 and will
instead cover an equivalent with a formulation less vulnerable to abuse,
the company said on Wednesday.
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The insurer has signed a "value-based contract" with Collegium
Pharmaceutical Inc for Xtampza ER, an extended-release oxycodone
equivalent that cannot be made more fast-acting through cutting or
crushing.
Under the contract, Collegium will reduce the cost of the medication
for many of Cigna's benefit plans. Cigna said the contract makes the
drug maker "financially accountable" if prescriptions exceed a
specific daily dose threshold. The company did not immediately
respond to requests for details.
Cigna said it believes that linking financial terms to dosage may
encourage more education to prevent overprescribing.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
opioids were involved in over 33,000 deaths in 2015, the latest year
for which data is available, and the death rate has continued
rising, according to estimates.
Purdue Pharma has been sued by several states and local governments
who accuse the OxyContin maker of deceptive marketing practices that
have contributed to a national opioid addiction epidemic.
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Cigna is notifying customers with current OxyContin prescriptions
and their doctors of the upcoming change, but individuals who have
started using OxyContin for hospice care or cancer treatments will
continue to have the medication covered in 2018.
The insurer said it will consider approving coverage for OxyContin
if a doctor feels the drug is medically necessary.
(Reporting By Deena Beasley; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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