Insights
The Sounding Board
Ideas and inspirations for the managed care industry
Aggregate Trends for Top 10 Therapeutic Classes in 2019
July 13, 2020
In 2019, the top 10 therapeutic classes accounted for 76.8% of all scripts and 79.6% of all costs.
COVID-19-Related State Budget Shortfalls and Resulting Impacts to Workers’ Comp
July 6, 2020
The economic impacts associated with COVID-19 have been far-reaching and headline-grabbing: “Record levels of unemployment”, “Shuttered businesses”, “Idled and furloughed workers”. Economists have struggled to predict “What’s next?” (both short and long-term) amid an ever-shifting backdrop of varying virus case numbers, differing public policy/governmental responses, and unsettled consumer demand.
Introducing Networks 2.0: Part Four
June 29, 2020
The benefits that workers’ comp networks bring to employees, employers, and providers are clear. What’s most interesting is how networks are evolving to meet the needs of employers and patients. These next-generation networks often are tighter, specialty-focused, smaller — right-sized — networks that benefits providers by grouping together the best of the best.
Specialty Drugs' Impact on Overall Costs in 2019
June 22, 2020
First Script overall prescription trends saw a slight upward shift in 2019. We’ll take a closer look at some of the specialty medication classes and specific drugs driving this shift and their impacts on overall costs, such as those from the hematological class, HIV medications, and one novel topical eye disorder treatment.
Top-Ranking Drug Classes in 2019
June 15, 2020
As part of our annual drug trends series, we’re taking a deeper dive into some of the therapeutic classes showing the biggest increases among the top 10 ranked by cost from our 2019 analysis.
Impact of Masks on the Deaf Community
June 10, 2020
While everyone has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another, the deafblind community has been affected in a detrimental way that most people may not have considered. With the already existing communication challenges, wearing masks has added yet another complicated barrier to communication between hearing and hearing impaired, hard of hearing, deaf and deafblind people.
Opioid Trends Continue to Decline in 2019
June 8, 2020
irst Script saw continued decreasing opioid trends across our retail and mail-order programs in 2019, even while overall prescription trends saw a slight upward shift in utilization per claim and cost per claim. Even with these changes, opioids remain the #1 therapeutic class by usage and cost, however, 2019 marked the largest reduction of the last 5 years in the percentage of opioid scripts with greater than or equal to 90 MED.
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