"Two versions of the new strategy are in play.... In one approach, insurers or employers continue to cover the drugs but designate them as 'nonessential,' which allows the health plans to bypass annual limits set by the [ACA] on how much patients can pay in out-of-pocket costs for drugs.... In the other approach, employers ... simply drop coverage for specific drugs or classes of drugs. Then, the outside vendor helps patients provide the financial and other information needed to apply for free medication from drugmakers through charity programs intended for uninsured patients."

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