Anthem and Eli Lilly have partnered in a collaborative initiative to tackle the high cost of prescription drugs through value-based pricing models, reports Bloomberg BNA.
"While the rest of the healthcare system is moving toward paying for value, payments for drugs largely continue to be stuck in a 20th century construct that focuses on price, regardless of the health outcomes of each patient," Sam Nussbaum, MD, former Anthem CMO, and David Ricks, Eli Lilly senior vice president, wrote in a blog post for Health Affairs.
In the posting, Dr. Nussbaum and Mr. Ricks identified anti-kickback statutes and government best-price rules as the greatest obstacles to value-based drug payment arrangements, citing the lack of room for innovation and collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and health plans.
"These policy ideas are the beginning of a necessary partnership [between Eli Lilly and Anthem]," the post continues. "By bringing together best ideas from our organizations, we will be able to more successfully provide access to state-of-the-art treatments to improve health and cure illness."
Through the collaborative initiative, the two Indianapolis-based companies aim to refocus Congressional and public attention on reforming prescription drug costs, Anthem vice president of public policy Tony Mader told Bloomberg BNA.
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