The $700 Copay That Changed Everything

Today’s guest post comes from Stephen Hom, EVP, Chief Commercial Officer, and Co-Founder of RIS Rx.

Stephen argues that patient affordability remains one of the most critical—and often overlooked—barriers to treatment adherence. Drawing on his experience as a community pharmacist, he suggests that cost isn’t just a financial issue—it’s a clinical one.

To learn about RIS Rx’s Benefit Patient Solution (BPS) and other tools, request your savings snapshot.

Read on for Stephen’s insights.

Medicare Part D 2026: Preferred Networks Vanish as the PDP Market Collapses

As I’ve been warning for years, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) has nearly obliterated the stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) market.

DCI’s exclusive analysis of Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) data reveals:

• The number of PDPs has plummeted by 55% since the IRA’s passage, to a record low of 360 plans for 2026.

• Preferred cost-sharing pharmacy networks are disappearing, with their share falling to the lowest level since 2014. That’s a post-IRA net loss of 505 plans with these networks.

• Just five companies—Aetna, Health Care Service Corporation, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Wellcare—will account for 94% of all PDPs in 2026. In recent years, four major plan sponsors—Cigna, Clear Spring Health, Elevance Health, and Mutual of Omaha—have exited the PDP market.

See the charts below and our analysis of the remaining national players, along with updated data on preferred networks in Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans.

Even with the demonstration program handouts, the Part D market is increasingly fragile: fewer choices, greater concentration, and massive disruption for beneficiaries.

Thanks, IRA! 🙃

What else should you expect for 2026? Find out during my upcoming live video webinar, Drug Channels Outlook 2026, on December 12, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. Click here to learn more and sign up. As always, we are offering special discounts if you want to bring your whole team.

Drug Channels Outlook 2026: Live Webinar with Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., on PBMs, Part D, DTC Strategies, Drug Policy Trends, and More

2026 is shaping up to be another transformative year for the U.S. drug channel. Join Adam J. Fein, Ph.D.—president of Drug Channels Institute (DCI) and author of Drug Channels—for his exclusive live video webinar:

Drug Channels Outlook 2026
Live Broadcast:
Friday, December 12, 2025
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET

Register Now

Gain the latest data, forecasts, and policy insights to plan confidently for the year ahead. Our Outlook webinars are trusted annually by thousands of industry leaders for data-driven market insight. This 90-minute online event—part of The Drug Channels 2025 Video Webinar Series—streams live from the Drug Channels studio in beautiful downtown Philadelphia.

Jump to: What You Will Learn  •  Pricing Options  •  Important Things To Know

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What You’ll Learn

Start the new year with clarity and confidence. Dr. Fein—one of the industry’s most trusted voices—will share an essential briefing on the trends, market forces, and policy developments that will shape the U.S. drug channel in 2026 and beyond.

• Market & Policy Outlook: GLP-1 disruption; expectations for Medicare Part D; first-year implications of Medicare’s MFP implementation
• PBMs & Payers: Profit model evolution, transparency pressures, and the future of discount cards, TrumpRx, and direct-to-patient strategies
• Industry Integration: The evolving biosimilar market, wholesaler influence, and vertical integration trends for patient- and provider-administered drugs
• Regulatory & Legislative Changes: The future of the 340B Drug Pricing Program and state/federal PBM oversight

And much more!

As always, Dr. Fein will clearly distinguish objective facts and data from his interpretations. This 90-minute video webinar will include a dedicated Q&A session, where attendees can unmute and engage directly with Dr. Fein.

Reserve Your Spot

Read on for pricing, group discounts, and other details.

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Hubs, AI, and the New Era of Revenue Protection in Patient Access

Today’s guest post comes from Steve Randall, Chief Technology Architect at ConnectiveRx.

Steve examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the role of patient support hubs in the specialty drug ecosystem. As policy, payer, and gross-to-net pressures mount, he argues that the hub model must evolve from a service function into a revenue-protection strategy—one that uses “embedded AI” to enhance, not replace, human judgment.

To learn more, download ConnectiveRx’s free eBook: 8 Questions Patient Access Leaders Should Ask About AI—But Aren’t. 

Read on for Steve’s insights.