EpiPen Maker, Others Want Government and Insurers to Bear Cost of the Device

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD, and André Sofair, MD, MPH

The manufacturer of the EpiPen and several other groups are lobbying to get the epinephrine autoinjector added to a federal list of preventive medical services, the New York Times reports. If the EpiPen makes the list, most U.S. patients will not be charged a copay for the device; rather, the government, health insurers, and employers will assume the cost.

Such a move, the Times notes, would allow Mylan to “keep the EpiPen at the current price, or perhaps raise it more.” Mylan has come under scrutiny recently over the high cost of the device — roughly $600 wholesale.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force will be responsible for deciding whether the EpiPen can be considered a preventive drug. Getting on the list won’t be easy, however, as there aren’t any prescription drugs for diagnosed illnesses currently on the list.