Every 36 seconds, someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, responsible for one in every four adult fatalities.
Making sure patients can access medication that protects their hearts should be a top national health care priority. But recent insurance claims data for patients with high cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease, paint a different picture.
For cholesterol-lowering PCSK9 inhibitors specifically, medication access remains a hurdle. Female, Black and Hispanic people’s prescriptions are routinely rejected by their insurers, as are those of people living in the American South.
Even as overall access improves, these patient groups are disproportionately denied medication that can improve their health and save their lives.