Hispanic Heritage Month: Fighting for Hispanic patients

Hispanic Heritage Month is a powerful reminder of the accomplishments and contributions of the Hispanic community. Yet, Hispanic patients continue to face disproportionate challenges due to systemic and societal barriers to care-particularly in accessing and affording life-saving treatments and medicines.

PhRMA/Ipsos' thought leadership series, the Patient Experience Survey (PES) highlights significant concerns:

• Nearly 63% of insured Hispanic Americans worry that their prescribed or recommended medicines may not be covered by their insurer.
• About six in 10 (58%) insured Hispanic Americans say they are concerned they would have to wait for their insurer to provide prior authorization for a medicine their doctor prescribed.
• More than a quarter of insured Hispanic Americans report their out-of-pocket costs exceed what they can afford, and 20% are grappling with medical debt.

So, how can we better address these health care disparities?

Insurers and their pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are increasingly shifting the cost burden of life-saving care onto patients through high deductibles and coinsurance. We must advocate for policy solutions that hold these middlemen accountable. By focusing on breaking down barriers to care and reining in insurers and their PBMs, we can work toward building a more accessible and equitable health care system.

To learn more about PhRMA's Equity Initiative, visit: https://phrma.org/Equity.