A new study examining the use of high-cost drugs among patients with colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer found those insured through Medicare Advantage received less expensive cancer drugs compared to others on Traditional Medicare.

The findings were published today in JAMA Health Forum.

"Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and colorectal cancer ranks third. Gaining a better understanding of treatment options and their costs under different insurance plans is important for assessing the overall healthcare landscape and how insurances manage patient costs,” said the study’s first author Cathy Bradley, PhD, Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health.

The study found Medicare Advantage patients received less expensive cancer drugs, particularly for colorectal cancer, when compared to Traditional Medicare. But this was not the case for non-small cell lung cancer. The researchers found there are less low-cost treatment alternatives available, resulting in high-cost drugs regardless of insurance.

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have found that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—organizations that negotiate access to medicines for most patients in the United States—steer patients to use their own pharmacies. However, these pharmacies appear less used in Medicare than in other market segments. These PBMs are part of integrated health care conglomerates that own insurance companies and pharmacies, which may create conflicts of interest.

A new study highlights growing public support in the United States for eco-social policies designed to address the interconnected ecological and social crises of our time. The research, led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) and the London School of Economics (LSE), evaluated public support for four key innovative eco-social proposals: reducing working hours (as low as 28 hours per week), downscaling fossil fuel production, providing universal basic services, and limiting advertising for high-emission goods.