On May 14, 2021, Aimed Alliance sent a letter to Cigna to express concerns over its $500 debit card program. Under the program, stable patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis receive an inducement of $500 to switch from one biologic medication to another, a form of nonmedical switching. As we noted in our letter, the debit card program is intended solely to incentivize stable patients to switch to a new drug, regardless of their financial situation or whether their health care professional has determined that the new drug is appropriate for their individualized needs. We recommended to Cigna that, should it seek to offer assistance to patients in need, it should do so by assisting them to afford their currently prescribed medication, which is in patients’ best interest, rather than coercing a switch that is in the insurer’s best interest. Read our letter here.
Last Updated on May 14, 2021 by Aimed Alliance
