Several health care trends make it difficult for patients to access their care, including high out-of-pocket costs; cost sharing can reach as high as 30%-60%, causing a significant financial burden and leading to poor medication adherence

In a letter to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray, Klobuchar and a bipartisan group of senators call for a review of the patient perspective on high out-of-pocket costs and their ability to access care

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has urged the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to focus on access to care and on reducing high out-of-pocket costs for patients with chronic diseases. Several health care trends make it difficult for patients to access their care, including high out-of-pocket costs. Cost sharing can reach as high as 30 percent to 60 percent, causing a significant financial burden and leading to poor medication adherence. In a letter to HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Klobuchar and a bipartisan group of senators called for a review of the patient perspective on high out-of-pocket costs and their ability to access care.

“We have heard from several patient groups with chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and psoriasis, on the difficulties of accessing [health] care and treatment,” the lawmakers wrote. “We applaud your work to continue to strengthen the nation's health system and hope that you will hold a hearing, roundtable, or other mechanism to review the patient perspective on high out-of-pocket costs and their ability to access care.”

In addition to Klobuchar, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) signed the letter.

The full text of the lawmakers’ letter is below:

Dear Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray:

Thank you for your leadership this year to examine how Congress can facilitate innovative drug development as well as improve America's health care system. We have heard from several patient groups with chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and psoriasis, on the difficulties of accessing care and treatment. We write to request that you review patient perspectives on access to care, particularly on high out-of-pocket costs for treatment.

Several health care trends make it difficult for patients to access their care, including high out-of-pocket costs. The use of specialty tiers as well as co-insurance is skyrocketing. Cost sharing can reach as high as 30%-60%, causing a significant financial burden and leading to poor adherence and non-adherence. Studies demonstrate that rates of prescription abandonment begin at a cost sharing level of $100 per month and increase significantly when the cost sharing reaches $500 per month.

Innovative medicines and treatment advancements have greatly improved the quality of life for patients suffering from debilitating, chronic diseases. Accessing the care needed is critical for these patients to achieve optimal health outcomes. Delays in treatment can result in irreversible disease progression and even, exacerbate the cost of care for both the patient and the health system.

Thank you for your consideration. We applaud your work to continue to strengthen the nation's health system and hope that you will hold a hearing, roundtable, or other mechanism to review the patient perspective on high out-of-pocket costs and their ability to access care.

Sincerely,

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