The agency is warning that such provisions run counter to President Donald Trump's mission to bring down prescription drug costs and promote transparency about drug prices. That doesn't mean people with Medicare drug coverage are destined to overpay for prescriptions. Under a little-known Medicare rule, they can pay a lower cash price for prescriptions instead of using their insurance. But first, they must ask the pharmacist about that option, said Julie Carter, federal policy associate at the Medicare Rights Center, a patient advocacy group. In Ohio, one of several states that have banned gag orders in insurance contracts, including some Medicare drug plans, officials responded to complaints about the problem.

Source: CNN June 03, 2018 13:52 UTC