Many users of a common asthma inhaler are poised to lose it in the new year, possibly due to changes to Medicaid rebate rules from the Biden administration.
GSK, manufacturer of the popular branded asthma treatment Flovent, announced in June that it would begin making only an “authorized generic” version of the product starting in 2024.
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Flovent HFA and Flovent Diskus have been the most commonly used inhaler medicines for asthma since the early 2000s, and they are the first-line treatment for pediatric asthma cases.
Doctors are worried that switching from brand name to generic will cause a lapse in patient care since the generic medication is not as widely covered by insurance plans.
“The fact that it’s being discontinued is going to be a huge shock to the system for patients, for families and for doctors,” Boston Medical Center pediatric pulmonologist Robyn Cohen told CNN.
Although GSK says that the generic products will be “potentially lower cost alternatives,” skeptics speculate that the pharmaceutical company is making the move to save money following the Biden administration’s changes to Medicaid rebate rules.
Prior to the passage of the American Rescue Plan of 2021, Medicaid rebates were capped at the total price of a drug, meaning that manufacturers would never pay back to Medicaid more than the cost of the drug.
Starting in January, drugs subject to large price increases within short periods of time could end up incurring rebates to Medicaid that are greater than their price. That would result in pharmaceutical companies selling their products at a loss to patients.
According to GoodRx, the price of Flovent Diskus increased by nearly 52% between 2014 and 2024. Flovent HFA increased by 49% during the same period.
Although the generic product is entirely the same formula, removing the branding essentially wipes away the price history of the drug, leaving it less vulnerable to large Medicaid rebates.
President Joe Biden has made the affordability of prescription medications and attacking pharmaceutical companies central features of his 2024 reelection campaign. Biden’s healthcare achievements have come mainly through the Inflation Reduction Act, including caps for Medicare Part D insulin prices and the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.
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In November, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America advised patients to refill their prescriptions of Flovent as soon as possible and to speak with their physician about alternatives. The foundation also recommended patients check their insurance coverage.
