Is Bedaquiline included in medical insurance and how is the price determined?

Bedaquiline(Bedaquiline) has been launched in China and is included in the National Medical Insurance List as a Class B drug, which is restricted to patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Being included in medical insurance means that patients can reduce their financial burden through medical insurance reimbursement if they meet the indications and prescribed conditions. Medical insurance reimbursement ratios and payment standards vary from region to region and are generally implemented by local medical insurance departments based on the medical insurance catalog and local policies.

The determination of the price of bedaquiline involves many links. First, the purchase price of the drug after it is launched is determined by the hospital through bidding or centralized procurement; second, national or local medical insurance negotiations may adjust payment standards and medical insurance payment ratios; finally, the actual payment of the patient depends on the self-pay ratio after medical insurance settlement, local serious illness co-ordination policies, and whether to participate in special drug assistance projects. Therefore, although the catalog indicates"reimbursable," patient out-of-pocket amounts may still vary by region and hospital.

In addition, in overseas markets, there is a significant price difference between original drugs and generic drugs. Original drugs such as those produced by Janssen The price of SIRTURO per box is more than 10,000 yuan, while the price of Indian generic drugs or original drugs from other countries is even lower, which may be around 2,000 to 3,000 yuan per box. Original drugs included in domestic medical insurance are given priority for reimbursement, while overseas or unregistered generic drugs generally cannot be reimbursed through medical insurance channels. Therefore, when using bedaquiline, patients should give priority to obtaining the drug through qualified domestic medical institutions and strictly follow the medical insurance process to ensure safety and economy.

In short, bedaquiline has been included in medical insurance and is limited to patients with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. The price and reimbursement standards are determined by the national directory, local policies and hospital procurement. Patients should obtain drugs through standardized channels under the guidance of medical institutions to ensure safe medication use and smooth implementation of medical insurance reimbursement.

Reference materials:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedaquiline