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Matt Salo Explains How High-Cost Specialty Drugs Change the Game for Medicaid
The high cost of Gilead Science's hepatitis C drug Sovaldi is causing Medicaid to come up with new ways of handling drug costs, according to Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
The high cost of Gilead Science’s hepatitis C drug Sovaldi is causing Medicaid to come up with new ways of handling such an expensive drug, according to Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
He discussed high-cost specialty drugs and their effect on Medicaid at the America’s Health Insurance Plans National Conferences on Medicare and Medicaid, and Dual Eligibles Summit in Washington, DC, from September 28 to October 2.
“[Sovaldi is] great from a public health perspective; but when you multiply large unit cost times a very large number of people, this drug alone has the potential of doubling Medicaid’s pharmacy spend,” Mr Salo said.
Accessibility Important After FDA Approves Lenacapavir for PrEP: Q&A With Colleen Kelley, MD, MPH
June 20th 2025The approval of lenacapavir, a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), marks significant progress in preventing HIV, making it vital for the treatment to be available and accessible to those most vulnerable, explains Colleen Kelley, MD, MPH, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.
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Stuck in Prior Auth Purgatory: The Hidden Costs of Health Care Delays
June 19th 2025Delays, denials, and endless paperwork—prior authorization isn’t just a headache for providers; it’s a barrier for patients who need timely care, explains Colin Banas, MD, MHA, chief medical officer with DrFirst.
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