Policy Recommendations for Pharmacy Benefit Managers to Stem the Escalating Costs of Prescription Drugs: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians.

Recent discussions about the increasing prices of prescription drugs have focused on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), third-party intermediaries for various types of employers and government purchasers who negotiate drug prices in health plans and thus play a crucial role in determining the amount millions of Americans pay for medications. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians expands on its position paper from 2016 by offering additional recommendations to improve transparency in the PBM industry and highlighting the need for reliable, timely, and relevant information on prescription drug pricing for physicians and patients.

Policy Recommendations for Public Health Plans to Stem the Escalating Costs of Prescription Drugs: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians.

The increasing price of prescription drugs is an ongoing concern for Medicare and Medicaid, particularly for patients with chronic health conditions who are using multiple medications and patients in these programs taking high-priced brand-name specialty drugs. Shifts in benefit design, including higher deductibles and a movement away from copayments to coinsurance, have increased patient out-of-pocket costs and put pressure on program budgets. In this paper, the American College of Physicians expands on its position paper from 2016 and offers additional recommendations to decrease out-of-pocket costs for patients, enhance the government's purchasing power, and address existing policies that add costs to the health care system.

Improving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's Insurance Coverage Provisions: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians.

The coverage reforms of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have fundamentally changed the U.S. health care system. The law's health insurance regulations, which include protections for persons with preexisting conditions, have made health insurance more accessible. The premium tax credit and cost-sharing subsidies have made nongroup coverage more affordable. The essential health benefit package and coverage for preventive services without cost sharing have made insurance more comprehensive. Perhaps most important, the Medicaid expansion extended coverage to millions of low-income adults. Despite these gains, more needs to be done to bring the United States closer to achieving universal coverage. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians recommends action to enhance and expand eligibility for health insurance financial subsidies; stabilize health insurance marketplaces; provide sustained funding for outreach, education, and enrollment assistance activities; test and implement a mechanism to encourage enrollment; expand Medicaid in all states; and establish a public insurance option to increase competition.

Reducing Firearm Injuries and Deaths in the United States: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians.

For more than 20 years, the American College of Physicians (ACP) has advocated for the need to address firearm-related injuries and deaths in the United States. Yet, firearm violence continues to be a public health crisis that requires the nation's immediate attention. The policy recommendations in this paper build on, strengthen, and expand current ACP policies approved by the Board of Regents in April 2014, based on analysis of approaches that the evidence suggests will be effective in reducing deaths and injuries from firearm-related violence.

Achieving Gender Equity in Physician Compensation and Career Advancement: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians.

Women comprise more than one third of the active physician workforce, an estimated 46% of all physicians-in-training, and more than half of all medical students in the United States. Although progress has been made toward gender diversity in the physician workforce, disparities in compensation exist and inequities have contributed to a disproportionately low number of female physicians achieving academic advancement and serving in leadership positions. Women in medicine face other challenges, including a lack of mentors, discrimination, gender bias, cultural environment of the workplace, imposter syndrome, and the need for better work-life integration. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians summarizes the unique challenges female physicians face over the course of their careers and provides recommendations to improve gender equity and ensure that the full potential of female physicians is realized.

Women's Health Policy in the United States: An American College of Physicians Position Paper.

In this position paper, the American College of Physicians (ACP) examines the challenges women face in the U.S. health care system across their lifespans, including access to care; sex- and gender-specific health issues; variation in health outcomes compared with men; underrepresentation in research studies; and public policies that affect women, their families, and society. ACP puts forward several recommendations focused on policies that will improve the health outcomes of women and ensure a health care system that supports the needs of women and their families over the course of their lifespans.

Addressing Social Determinants to Improve Patient Care and Promote Health Equity: An American College of Physicians Position Paper.

Social determinants of health are nonmedical factors that can affect a person's overall health and health outcomes. Where a person is born and the social conditions they are born into can affect their risk factors for premature death and their life expectancy. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians acknowledges the role of social determinants in health, examines the complexities associated with them, and offers recommendations on better integration of social determinants into the health care system while highlighting the need to address systemic issues hindering health equity.

Health and Public Policy to Facilitate Effective Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Involving Illicit and Prescription Drugs: An American College of Physicians Position Paper.

Substance use disorders involving illicit and prescription drugs are a serious public health issue. In the United States, millions of individuals need treatment for substance use disorders but few receive it. The rising number of drug overdose deaths and the changing legal status of marijuana pose new challenges. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians maintains that substance use disorder is a treatable chronic medical condition and offers recommendations on expanding treatment options, the legal status of marijuana, addressing the opioid epidemic, insurance coverage of substance use disorders treatment, education and workforce, and public health interventions.