(Sacramento, CA – Insurance News 360) – On Jan. 2, the California Department of Insurance released the Prescription Drug Cost Transparency Report, which compiles information from nine health insurers about prescription drug coverage.

The report includes information on prescription drugs dispensed at a plan pharmacy, network pharmacy, or mail order pharmacy for outpatient use, and include the following drug categories: generic, brand name, and specialty. CDI-regulated insurers reported to the department the 25 most frequently prescribed drugs, the 25 most costly drugs by total annual plan spending, and the 25 drugs with the highest year-over-year increase in total annual plan spending for calendar year 2017 for individual and group coverage. This mandated reporting by insurers is meant to demonstrate the overall impact of drug costs on health insurance premiums in California.

“Our Prescription Drug Cost Transparency Report is an important first step toward providing more information for consumers and policymakers regarding the cost of drugs,” said Commissioner Jones. “More work needs to be done by policymakers to address the rising cost of drugs which significantly contribute to overall healthcare costs and health insurance premiums.”

Source: California Insurance Department.