Abstract PS7-49: Assessment of patient out-of-pocket cost for palbociclib therapy in advanced breast cancer
Authors: Golbach Allison P , Smith Matthew D , Taraba Jodi L , Giridhar Karthik V 
Published: February 2021

Assessment of patient out-of-pocket cost for palbociclib therapy in advanced breast cancerBackground:Palbociclib has demonstrated improved outcomes in patients with advanced hormone receptor positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) negative breast cancer when used in combination with endocrine therapy 1,2. The current average wholesale price of therapy with this medication class exceeds $190,000 per year (at full dose). Financial toxicity is a major concern in the oncology population and can decrease patient quality of life and may result in non-adherence 3,4. Our objective was to describe the out-of-pocket cost burden for patients treated with palbociclib.

Methods:A retrospective review of patients newly initiated on palbociclib therapy between May 5, 2018 and May 30, 2019 was completed at our institution. Patients were included if they were 18 years of age and older, newly starting palbociclib for advanced or metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer, had US-based insurance, and received palbociclib from our internal specialty pharmacy. Cost information was collected utilizing dispensing reports and additional patient-specific information was obtained from the EHR. Descriptive statistics were performed on the collected data.

Results:A total of 44 patients were included in the cost analysis. Primary sources of coverage for these patients included commercial insurance (n=13), Medicare (n=25), and state/federal insurance (n=6). We first assessed costs with primary insurance coverage alone. The sum of all the initial cycle out-of-pocket copays after primary insurance totaled $49,108. The median individual copay was $291, the range was $0 to $2,943, and 9 of the 44 patients had no copay after the primary insurance was applied.

The impact of assistance programs, which include independent grant funding, copay cards, vouchers, and secondary Medicaid plans, was significant. After applying primary insurance and aid from assistance programs, the sum of all initial cycle out-of-pocket copays reduced from $49,108 to $3,172. After assistance, 33 of the 44 patients had an initial copay cost of $0. Over 90% of the out-of-pocket total was from two patients (one each with a copay of $2,467 and $497). Ultimately, Mayo Clinic Specialty Pharmacy helped patients avoid $45,851 in first cycle out-of-pocket copays, of which $41,079 and $4,772 were for Medicare and commercially-insured patients, respectively.

Copay cost by type of insurance was assessed. All patients with commercial insurance (n=13) had no actual copay for the first cycle. Medicare patients (n=25) are not eligible for copay cards and had larger pre-assistance copays compared to commercial patients (median $2,454 vs. $45). Vouchers or grants were utilized by 16 out of 25 Medicare covered patients. State/Federal insurance included 2 Tricare and 4 Medicaid patients. While ineligible for copay card assistance, the copays for these patients were low, ranging from $0-$28.

Standard Medicare D plans do not have an out of pocket maximum for the year. The catastrophic phase requires an ongoing copay of 5% of the total claim cost, resulting in approximately a $600 per month copay for the remainder of the calendar year during the study period. When combined with the first cycle cost of approximately $2500, the yearly out-of-pocket cost for a patient with a standard Medicare D plan is roughly $10,000.

Conclusion:Patients initiating therapy with palbociclib are commonly faced with high out-of-pocket costs. The availability, eligibility, and use of financial assistance programs are imperative in decreasing the financial toxicity. Specialty pharmacies play an important role in obtaining financial assistance which leads to decreased out-of-pocket expenses for patients.

Citation Format: Allison P Golbach, Matthew D Smith, Jodi L Taraba, Karthik V Giridhar. Assessment of patient out-of-pocket cost for palbociclib therapy in advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS7-49.