Some Prescription Drug Costs Soaring

The typical two-tiered prescription drug coverage plan charges, say, $30 for a 30-day supply of the branded drug and $15 for the generic. But, as explained here, major insurers -- such as the Blues and Aetna -- now have added a third tier for  expensive "speciality" drugs that treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, to name a few. The co-pays are very large. Proposed state legislation would limit patient payments, but the insurers are saying that's a bad idea because they'll just have to raise everyone's premiums, and, besides, in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will limit patients' total out-of-pocket obligation. (And if state limits are enacted, won't the insurers argue that they are federally preempted by ERISA?)