The average price of 119 exclusive drugs successfully negotiated was reduced by more than half, and the drugs for COVID-19 were included in the medical insurance

Today, reporters learned from the press conference on the adjustment of the national medical insurance drug list in 2020 that this year, the average price of 119 successfully negotiated exclusive drugs has dropped by 50.64%. The drugs listed in the latest version of the national new crown pneumonia treatment plan and 16 new drugs launched before August 17 this year are included in the medical insurance drug list.

Through this catalog adjustment, a total of 119 drugs were added to the catalog, and another 29 drugs in the original catalog were removed from the catalog. The total number of drugs in the adjusted "National Basic Medical Insurance, Work-related Injury Insurance and Maternity Insurance Drug Catalog (2020)" is 2,800, including 1,426 Western medicines and 1,374 Chinese patent medicines. The number of Chinese herbal medicines in the catalog has not been adjusted and remains at 892.

Xiong Xianjun, director of the Medical Services Management Department of the National Medical Insurance Administration, said that this year, the number of negotiated drugs is the largest and the treatment areas are the most extensive. The 96 exclusive drugs that were finally negotiated and transferred in, plus the 23 non-exclusive drugs that were directly transferred in, involved a total of 31 clinical groups, accounting for 86% of all clinical groups, and patients benefited more widely.

Xiong Xianjun also introduced that this year, the price reduction negotiation for drugs in the catalogue was attempted for the first time. The review experts selected 14 exclusive drugs with high prices or costs and large fund occupation for price reduction negotiation according to the procedures. The annual sales amount of each of these drugs exceeded 1 billion yuan. After the negotiation, all 14 drugs were successfully negotiated and retained in the catalogue, with an average price reduction of 43.46%, setting a clear direction that the drugs in the original catalogue also need to continuously improve their economic efficiency.

In addition, this adjustment of the medical insurance drug list attaches great importance to the guarantee of drugs related to the treatment of new coronavirus pneumonia, and drugs such as ribavirin injection and arbidol granules are added to the list. All drugs listed in the latest version of the national new coronavirus pneumonia treatment plan have been included in the national medical insurance list to assist in epidemic prevention and control.

It is reported that the new version of the medical insurance drug list will be officially launched nationwide on March 1, 2021, benefiting a large number of patients.