10 takeaways from the hbm+ 2022 drug trends and insights report

 
I love nothing more than a good top ten list and I also love a good drug report. So, I combined the two!
Presenting my top ten takeaways from the 2022 hbm+ Drug Trends and Strategic Insights Report. You can reap my full recap here. 

Following drugs trends are important as drugs drive the majority of the claims cost in an employee benefits program. 

1. Page 6 and 7 of the report have client friendly drug terminology that’s an easy sharable item. Maybe if someone asks HBM+ they will make this into a client sharable PDF. Or even social medial sharable images. Hint hint.
2. Biosimilar use is growing and there is a huge opportunity for plan sponsors who prioritize biosimilar use to save on drug costs. We can look to BC for proof in the pudding. BC
3. Proactively helping employees live a healthy lifestyle can save employers a ton on drug claims. Overall health expenditures for claimants with diabetes reached $469 million in 2021 with an average claimant cost of approximately $3,321. I’m typing that again. With an average claimant cost of $3,321. As an employer, if you can prevent even just one employee from developing type 2 diabetes, it will have a significant impact on your drug claim costs. Plus, the costs saved from all the other stuff connected to a person having diabetes. But as pointed out recently by the New York times, there is no device or drug powerful enough to counter the effects of poverty, pollution, stress, a broken food system, cities that aren’t walkable and inequitable access to healthcare.
4. Drug costs aren’t bad, you’re helping people take their lives back. Migraine drugs are a great example of this.
5. CF drugs are a plan killer but incredibly meaningful to the lives of the people who need them.
6. Something about digital pharmacy
7. The $5000-$9999 drug cost interval had year over year growth of 17.1% this is a cost sustainability killer category.
8. Due to there being 40% more claimants (taking new biologics like Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality) total migraine drug cost jumped by 53% These drugs fall into the $5000-$9999 drug cost interval.
9. Society has had a hugely negative impact on women’s body image, and we see a direct result of this with women over age 24 make up 81% of the claimant population and 45% also using drugs for mental health
10. If you want to support women in the workplace offer digital pharmacy, migraine drugs and Lifestyle drugs.

Download your own copy of the report here

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