We know that any increase in costs these days is difficult to absorb. From the grocery store to the gas pump, rising prices are affecting all areas of our lives – and health care is no exception. At Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, we’re committed to making sure rising health care costs don’t stand in the way of access to quality care for our members.

Across the pharmacy landscape, rapid growth in drug indications and formulations are driving increases in utilization and in spend. High‑impact categories such as GLP‑1s for diabetes and weight management, oncology immunotherapies like Keytruda^®, and inflammatory biologics such as Dupixent^®; continue to expand into new populations. As more members qualify for these therapies, employers are experiencing significant cost acceleration and greater budget uncertainty.

Prior authorizations can be a point of confusion and frustration for employees. If a doctor prescribes a medication that needs approval before it can be filled, also known as a prior authorization, there’s a way for members to easily check the status of that request with our new tool.