The big picture
Specialty medications are some of the most expensive medications on the market, accounting for roughly half of the prescription drug spend in the United States and costing nearly 13 times more than brand-name, non-specialty medications1. The financial burden of these drugs can be significant, even forcing some patients to forgo life-changing treatments.
Zoom in
For example, Xtandi, an oral chemotherapy drug used to treat prostate cancer, has an average wholesale price of $17,000, set by the manufacturer2. For patients, that can mean an out-of-pocket cost of up to $500 per month.
Automated digital tools, like Optum Savings IQ™, are fundamentally changing the way patients can access and afford medications. And they are making a difference. Since the integration of Optum Savings IQ™ in 2023, Optum has enabled more than $2,500 in average annual savings per assisted patient, expanding financial assistance to patients by 14% year-over-year5.
Patient impact
320K+
patients served in 2024
$1.5B
savings goal
$5
median copay
88%
decrease in out-of-pocket costs for cancer patients
$2.5K
average annual savings
When a cancer patient in a rural Washington community was having trouble affording his medication, he was prepared to sell his farm equipment to pay for treatment. He had already missed two months of therapy when his doctor contacted Optum Specialty Pharmacy looking for another option. Within a day, our patient assistance team identified financial resources that resulted in a $0 copay for the patient, and importantly, got him back on his prostate cancer therapy.
“Everyone deserves equal access to quality care. Optum Savings IQ is the latest example of how we are removing obstacles to ensure all patients can access and afford the important medications they need."
Corey Coleman | vice president of Health Equity Business Enablement, UnitedHealth Group
How it works
Optum Savings IQ™ is a cutting-edge technology that automatically aggregates financial assistance opportunities to match eligible Optum Specialty patients with resources and programs that help reduce out-of-pocket costs and in turn improves medication adherence. Since Optum launched this technology, the average out-of-pocket cost for oral oncology patients decreased by 88%6 and Optum Specialty Pharmacy patients have a median copay of only $57. Coupled with other financial assistance resources such as Optum Perks, Optum’s goal is to enable nearly $1.5 billion in total patient savings in 20248.
Adherence is a critical step in medication management that is linked to better health outcomes and lower costs of care, but prescription drugs that people cannot access or afford are futile. Driven by a focus on clinical excellence, Optum is committed to helping providers and patients remove barriers to care and improve health outcomes for everyone we serve.
“People who come to a specialty pharmacy are in need of critical, life-changing solutions and it’s our job to help unlock access for these expensive, complex drugs. Optum Specialty Pharmacy is committed to making it easier and more affordable for patients to start and stay on their medications – advancing health outcomes at the lowest available cost."
Erin Satterwhite | chief executive officer, Optum Specialty Pharmacy
1 AARP https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/ppi/2021/09/trends-retail-prices-specialty-drugs.doi.10.26419-2Fppi.00073.006.pdf.
3 Kamal R, Cox C, and McDermott D. What are the recent and forecasted trends in prescription drug spending? Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker poll conducted Feb 14–24, 2019.
4 https://phrma.org/-/media/Project/PhRMA/PhRMA-Org/PhRMA-Org/PDF/A-C/ChartPack_Biopharmaceuticals_in_Perspective_Fall2020.pdf
5 Data source: Optum Specialty Pharmacy, Financial Assistance Dashboard, patients receiving financial assistance. 1/1/2023 – 9/30/2024.
6 Data source: Optum Specialty Pharmacy, Financial Assistance Dashboard. Available claims only, 1/1/2024 - 5/31/2024.
7 Data source: Impact of Optum Savings IQ on patient outcomes evaluation, January 2023- March 2024.
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