Mylan’s Announcement on EpiPen Prices: Too Little Too Late
Aug. 25, 2016
Mylan’s Announcement on EpiPen Prices: Too Little Too Late
Statement of Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen
Mylan’s announcement of an expanded discount card system for EpiPens is a false solution that can be summed up as too little, too late.
If the company wants to calm public outrage over its contemptible and unconscionable price spikes for EpiPens, there’s only one course of action: actually lower the price.
Canadian online pharmacies offer EpiPens for a little over a $100 per pen. That would be an excessively high price, but at least within the bounds of reasonability.
Coupons, discount cards and patient assistance programs are a false solution for consumers hit with gigantic out-of-pocket costs. First, many consumers will not use the coupons or the programs. Second, many consumers with high deductibles or no insurance will still need to pay far too much for EpiPens – $300 for a set of two – a problem made worse by the facts that many families purchase multiple sets of EpiPens and that EpiPens must be replaced every year.
Equally as important, coupons and discount cards do virtually nothing to alleviate the rip-off of the health care system, for which all Americans pay as consumers and taxpayers. Because of the opacity in the pharmaceutical market, we don’t know what private and public insurers actually pay for EpiPens, but there’s no question that the price is higher than it would be if Mylan’s retail price were lower.
Mylan’s scheme is a convoluted effort to avoid plain talk about price. It is an excellent example of how corporations are gaming the health care system with elaborate show offers that allow them to continue to price gouge the rest of us.
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