Romanian CNAS to change reimbursement model for fully reimbursed drugs

2010-09-08

By October this year the Romanian Health Insurance House (CNAS) plans to have provided a new model for the reimbursement of drugs on the so-called C1 list, which includes fully reimbursed pharmaceuticals used for the treatment of chronic diseases such as hepatitis, anaemia and cancer. The CNAS will reimburse only the cost of the cheapest generic available on the market, defined in terms of active chemical substance (INN) and therapeutic minimum price per unit. Patients who use more expensive original medicines will need to pay the price difference. At the same time, full reimbursement will remain for those original drugs for which there are no generic substitutes.
Between now and October this plan will be debated publically, and, if approved, the changes will affect approximately two million Romanians. The CNAS expects to reduce its spending on fully reimbursed drugs by 20% because, according to its statistics, up to 80% of patients in Romania use expensive original pharmaceuticals instead of their cheaper generic alternatives.
In July this year the CNAS approved a reimbursement model based on the cheapest generics for those Rx drugs which are refunded in part. The same approach could soon be taken for drugs provided free-of-charge within the national health programmes for the treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and cancer.