Matt Salo Explains the Impact Sovaldi Has on State Medicaid

Despite being used to dealing with drugs that are incredibly expensive, the high cost of Sovaldi presents a new problem for state Medicaid programs, according to Matt Salo, the executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

The problem, he explained, isn’t that the drug costs so much, because treatments for kids with cystic fibrosis are much more; the problem is that it costs so much and is needed for so many people.

“It’s not going to work within the limited finite budget that is Medicaid, because that means something else is going to have to give,” Mr Salo said. “If you double the pharmacy spend, what’s going to give? Long-term care? Nursing homes for seniors? Vaccinations for kids?”