AJMC® Profiles in Care Highlights Results of Innovative Outcomes-Based Agreement Between Highmark Inc and Boehringer Ingelheim

CRANBURY, N.J., July 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the August issue, The American Journal of Managed Care® will publish an in-depth look into the recently released results of an outcomes-based agreement between Boehringer Ingelheim and health care insurer Highmark Inc., which demonstrated reductions in the total cost of care for patients with type 2 diabetes and known cardiovascular disease taking Jardiance® (empagliflozin) tablets.

The total cost of care (medical and pharmacy) for patients taking JARDIANCE was reduced by over 20%, and medical costs alone were reduced by over 30%. 

"We are proud to give our readership a detailed example of how joint efforts by drug makers and payers can lead to better outcomes for patients, with resulting reductions in overall costs of care," said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences, the parent company of AJMC®.

 In 2018, Highmark and Boehringer Ingelheim entered into an outcomes-based agreement for Jardiance®, an oral prescription medicine indicated along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes who have known cardiovascular disease. Outcomes-based agreements are a type of payment model that ties the price of a drug to how it performs. The Boehringer Ingelheim-Highmark agreement analyzed outcomes in patients with both type 2 diabetes and known cardiovascular disease who took JARDIANCE compared with those on other antidiabetic therapies. Gaps in care for patients with diabetes and associated cardiovascular disease have long been recognized among the payer community, and Highmark and Boehringer Ingelheim share the view that the economics of health care has been focused for too long on volume rather than patient-centered outcomes.

For Highmark, a payer organization with an integrated delivery network, the Boehringer Ingelheim agreement was an opportunity to ensure timely patient access to effective medications by reducing the total cost of care.

"This was the first outcomes-based agreement that focused on those financial outcomes, with a rebate if they were not met," said Kayse Reitmeyer, manager of pharmaceutical relations and rebate administration at Highmark. "Transparent, open, collaborative partnerships are important in making these outcomes-based agreements a success, and we had that from the beginning."

Christine Marsh, senior vice president, Market Access, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., said, "Type 2 diabetes and its complications, including cardiovascular disease, continue to be a significant financial burden on the health care system and patients. We are proud of our unique collaboration with Highmark and our efforts to show how pharmaceutical companies and payers can work together to ensure people living with these chronic, debilitating conditions get appropriate guideline-directed care while lowering medical costs." To read the article, click here.

About The American Journal of Managed Care®

The American Journal of Managed Care®(AJMC®) is a multimedia, peer-reviewed, MEDLINE-indexed journal that keeps industry leaders on the forefront of health policy by sharing digital research relevant to industry decision-makers. Other brands in the AJMC® family include The American Journal of Accountable Care®, Evidence-Based Oncology™ and Evidence-Based Diabetes Management™. These comprehensive multimedia brands bring together stakeholder views from payers, providers, policymakers and other industry leaders in managed care. AJMC® is a brand of MJH Life Sciences™, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

AJMC® Media Contact
Alyssa Scarpaci, 609-716-7777
[email protected]

SOURCE The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®)