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Post by rockstarrick on Nov 2, 2016 22:25:36 GMT -5
Click the link, select PDF file, and scroll to the. correct page. The link works just fine
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Post by slugworth008 on Nov 3, 2016 0:02:06 GMT -5
Maybe, juz maybe....MikeC has been holding up on some DTC advertising until this occurred - juz maybe
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Post by silentknight on Nov 3, 2016 6:42:45 GMT -5
I'll give Mike C credit for addressing many of the insurance issues with formulary coverage and Mannkind Cares but this is only one half of the problematic equation that has lead to difficulty with Afrezza. His work has improved things considerably. I'll give him that so kudos. However, all this will be for naught if endos and GPs aren't willing to use Afrezza with their patients. In my opinion, that has always been more of an obstacle than the insurance problems. If that gets better than I think we're on the right track.
Bottom line is that sales have to improve and we need insurance companies AND doctors on board to do that. I certainly hope this makes it easier to get the drug for those that want it but availability without demand doesn't accomplish much.
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Post by madog365 on Nov 3, 2016 6:56:04 GMT -5
I'll give Mike C credit for addressing many of the insurance issues with formulary coverage and Mannkind Cares but this is only one half of the problematic equation that has lead to difficulty with Afrezza. His work has improved things considerably. I'll give him that so kudos. However, all this will be for naught if endos and GPs aren't willing to use Afrezza with their patients. In my opinion, that has always been more of an obstacle than the insurance problems. If that gets better than I think we're on the right track. Bottom line is that sales have to improve and we need insurance companies AND doctors on board to do that. I certainly hope this makes it easier to get the drug for those that want it but availability without demand doesn't accomplish much. Yes stories like the ones in the below thread are still happening and holding this back m.reddit.com/r/diabetes/comments/5anwuo/thoughts_on_afrezza/Why are the docs so against letting patients try afrezza ? It's a real shame what they are doing
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Post by lakon on Nov 3, 2016 7:25:12 GMT -5
I'll give Mike C credit for addressing many of the insurance issues with formulary coverage and Mannkind Cares but this is only one half of the problematic equation that has lead to difficulty with Afrezza. His work has improved things considerably. I'll give him that so kudos. However, all this will be for naught if endos and GPs aren't willing to use Afrezza with their patients. In my opinion, that has always been more of an obstacle than the insurance problems. If that gets better than I think we're on the right track. Bottom line is that sales have to improve and we need insurance companies AND doctors on board to do that. I certainly hope this makes it easier to get the drug for those that want it but availability without demand doesn't accomplish much.Yes, that's the bottom line. To get there, one must set the stage. First, make a product available unless you can take pre-orders. (Actually, I wish MNKD could and would setup something like pre-orders, even if it is just to generate an Afrezza request packet to have delivered to a patient's doctor's office with all the correct forms filled out and ready to go for the front office along with contacts at MNKD and Mannkind Cares -- before a patient's next appointment. You get the idea. Why should a patient have to go in COLD to his/her office after following the social media commentary -- just to have the doctor snicker and say, "That's anecdotal..." MNKD should have their back. Someone want to tweet that out to Mike for Lakon. I don't tweet.) Second, build understanding about what the product can do for you (your patients). Third, build demand. (I think that we are rapidly approaching a solution to the cash problem or BK. If the cash problem is solved, demand building will kickoff DTC.) You don't want to spend money building demand, but not have availability or staying power. MNKD has got to keep customers that they acquire. After they figure that out, let's roll...
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Post by lakon on Nov 3, 2016 7:44:11 GMT -5
I'll give Mike C credit for addressing many of the insurance issues with formulary coverage and Mannkind Cares but this is only one half of the problematic equation that has lead to difficulty with Afrezza. His work has improved things considerably. I'll give him that so kudos. However, all this will be for naught if endos and GPs aren't willing to use Afrezza with their patients. In my opinion, that has always been more of an obstacle than the insurance problems. If that gets better than I think we're on the right track. Bottom line is that sales have to improve and we need insurance companies AND doctors on board to do that. I certainly hope this makes it easier to get the drug for those that want it but availability without demand doesn't accomplish much. Yes stories like the ones in the below thread are still happening and holding this back m.reddit.com/r/diabetes/comments/5anwuo/thoughts_on_afrezza/Why are the docs so against letting patients try afrezza ? It's a real shame what they are doing I think that the ADCOM made it perfectly clear that a lot of doctors must not really understand insulin, or hormones in general, and they wrongly associate with the big scary C. To them, that means a big scary L. I loved the oncologist at the ADCOM. Let me summarize his thoughts to himself, "Morons, I ain't got time to explain. Show me data. If it don't fit, you must acquit. (No, wait, that's so bad.) They [MNKD/Afrezza] got the votes. I'm outta here. Rolling eyes at the FDA 'Examiners' on the way out..." My point is that if the ADCOM and FDA are the "best" we got, and I'm not saying that's true. Yet, I think that the feelings are pervasive enough to follow rule #1: Don't get sued. (Do no harm.) Sorry to be so cynical... It takes time to change the standard of care that's been entrenched for decades under what are probably a lot of misunderstandings and false assumptions. Did anyone read the NBC article? I mean they should really fact check. They had so many errors that I was just sad. The article contradicted itself so it was not even internally consistent. That's where we are today. Nobody knows what the hell they are talking about.
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Post by esstan2001 on Nov 3, 2016 11:15:50 GMT -5
I'll give Mike C credit for addressing many of the insurance issues with formulary coverage and Mannkind Cares but this is only one half of the problematic equation that has lead to difficulty with Afrezza. His work has improved things considerably. I'll give him that so kudos. However, all this will be for naught if endos and GPs aren't willing to use Afrezza with their patients. In my opinion, that has always been more of an obstacle than the insurance problems. If that gets better than I think we're on the right track. Bottom line is that sales have to improve and we need insurance companies AND doctors on board to do that. I certainly hope this makes it easier to get the drug for those that want it but availability without demand doesn't accomplish much. Maybe demand comes with the next phase- DTC advertising. All we need is money.
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Post by novafett on Nov 3, 2016 12:02:21 GMT -5
I see a silver lining here. Yea some anecdotal examples of peoples ENO's being knee-jerk anti-Afrezza BUT PWD's are talking about it and I'm sure the more talk about how effective it is, the more people are not going to be content to stick with an Endo who isn't willing to try. We're moving ahead here folks. Slow and steady. I'm thinking small snowball on a large hill.
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Post by crkims on Nov 4, 2016 0:35:50 GMT -5
I just checked my 2017 Express Scripts benefits offered through my work and Afrezza is listed as a preferred "best buy" medication at no cost to us. It is good to see the coverage hurdles are being addressed. link
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Post by bradleysbest on Nov 4, 2016 8:41:55 GMT -5
Great stuff but will MNKD have the funding to survive until scripts rise?
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Post by boytroy88 on Nov 4, 2016 8:43:07 GMT -5
Great stuff but will MNKD have the funding to survive until scripts rise? And that's the $0.42...er...$25k question.
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Post by matt on Nov 4, 2016 8:54:02 GMT -5
All the large health plans offer many different choices, which is why you can find Afrezza on some Kaiser formularies and not others, and same for ExpressScripts, CVS/Caremark, and others. If your employer doesn't mind paying the bill in order to keep the employees happy, then the PBM will fill the drug since they get a fixed fee for the filling and paperwork, plus they recover the actual price of the drug from the employer.
Essentially, it is the employer that is dictating the formulary rather than the insurance company or PBM, and this is common with self-insured employers who skew toward a younger employee population because they have lower costs. Employers with older employee populations cannot be so generous because they bump up against the "Cadillac Plan" tax because they have higher average costs.
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Post by gtay87 on Nov 4, 2016 9:06:08 GMT -5
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Post by me on Nov 4, 2016 11:27:39 GMT -5
All the large health plans offer many different choices, which is why you can find Afrezza on some Kaiser formularies and not others, and same for ExpressScripts, CVS/Caremark, and others. If your employer doesn't mind paying the bill in order to keep the employees happy, then the PBM will fill the drug since they get a fixed fee for the filling and paperwork, plus they recover the actual price of the drug from the employer.
Essentially, it is the employer that is dictating the formulary rather than the insurance company or PBM, and this is common with self-insured employers who skew toward a younger employee population because they have lower costs. Employers with older employee populations cannot be so generous because they bump up against the "Cadillac Plan" tax because they have higher average costs. You forgot the other "extras" that PBMs "recover," such as the spread between what the PBM pays the pharmacy and the "claim" amount the PBM charges the employer; the 70% to 85% of rebates that the PBM does not pass on to the employer (although the employer believes their contract is providing them nearly 100% of the rebates); and mail order re-coding which creates an artificial NDC to which the PBM can contractually apply their own "AWP" off of which the employer's discount is based, among others.
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Post by crkims on Nov 4, 2016 14:08:33 GMT -5
gtay87, I work for State Street. They have reduced our plan options more and more in recent years and now only offer High Deductible plans. So with the recent increases in our costs and reduced plan options I view the Afrezza coverage positively. Especially since the corporate trend here has been to push costs to employees as much as possible.
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