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Even if the drug manufacturer has to fund the majority of the participant’s share of the cost, the drug manufacturer can profit from the transaction because the plan would pay its share of the cost of the drug. We note that, while this trend started with drug manufacturer coupons, other medical providers have started issuing discount or copay coupons as well. The analysis in this alert applies equally to coupons for any medical services.
A copay coupon often has an annual dollar limit aimed at covering a significant portion of the participant’s cost sharing up to a typical participant’s out-of-pocket maximum. The out-of-pocket maximum is the point where the plan pays 100% of the cost of the drug with no further participant cost sharing.
Copay coupon accumulator program timeline
Pre-2018 – copay coupons were undetectable
Prior to 2018, the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) systems did not distinguish copay coupons from other forms of payment (like cash or a credit card). When a participant filled a prescription at a pharmacy, the coupon was identified as a participant payment. The value of a copay coupon would have been credited against a participant’s deductible and out-of-pocket maximum along with any amounts the participant paid by cash or credit card. The electronic data generated from the transaction did not support any other treatment. Then, leading up to 2018, the PBMs began to implement systems to separately track coupons.
