State Initiatives Using Purchasing Power to Achieve Drug Cost Containment
This report focuses on several state purchasing strategies designed to achieve concessions in negotiations with drug manufacturers and in other parts of the prescription drug supply chain. The highlighted strategies include intrastate actions, which combine state agencies’ purchases of drugs to improve their negotiating clout, and interstate activities, such as multi-state organizations that unite to purchase drugs for their Medicaid programs.
Read or download: State Initiatives Using Purchasing Power to Achieve Drug Cost Containment
Read or download a related report: Cross-Agency Strategies to Curb Health Care Costs: Leveraging State Purchasing Power This report highlights the unique approaches states across the country have taken to limit health care cost increases, ranging from limiting hospital rates increases to cross-agency collaboration to lower drug and health care costs.
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
