Press Release: AMCP CEO Susan A. Cantrell, RPh, CAE, issued the following statement on HHS’s proposed rule to eliminate negotiated rebates for pharmaceuticals under Medicare Part D and managed Medicaid programs.
On January 31, 2019, HHS proposed sweeping changes to the current system for medication pricing and contracting by PBM companies in federal programs. This summary reviews OIG's proposal to eliminate the safe harbor protections for rebates that exist in the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and replace these protections with proposed new safe harbors allowing for point-of-sale discounts to beneficiaries and for manufacturer-paid service fees to PBMs.
On January 25, 2019, AMCP provided comments to CMS in response to its proposed rule on lowering drug prices and reducing out-of-pocket expenses in the Medicare program. The letter outlines the proposal’s impact on providing plan flexibility to manage protected classes, prohibition against gag clauses in pharmacy contracts, E-Prescribing and the Part D Prescription Drug Program, Part D explanation of benefits, and Medicare Advantage and step therapy in Part B.
On January 25, 2019, AMCP provided comments to CMS in response to the proposed rule on Modernizing Part D and Medicare Advantage to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Expenses. AMCP offered comments on the following CMS proposals; Providing Plan Flexibility to Manage Protected Classes; Prohibition Against Gag Clauses in Pharmacy Contracts; E-Prescribing and the Part D Prescription Drug Program; Updating Part D E-Prescribing Standards; Part D Explanation of Benefits; and Medicare Advantage and Step Therapy for Part B Drugs.
On November 26, 2018, CMS issued a new proposed rule outlining potential policies that are intended to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Major Provisions in the proposed rule include; Providing Part D Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) flexibility to negotiate discounts for drugs in protected classes; Utilizing Real Time Benefits Tools (RTBT) in the Part D Program to increase drug price transparency at the point of prescribing; Codifying a policy to allow step therapy in Medicare Advantage for Part B Drugs; Amending regulations related to the Part D Explanation of Benefits (EOB) that plans send to beneficiaries to include drug pricing information and lower cost alternatives; Implementing a statutory provision prohibiting the use of gag clauses in pharmacy contracts; Considering a policy that would re-define negotiated price as the baseline, or lowest possible, payment to a pharmacy in future plan years as early as 2020.
AMCP webinar that reviewed the major provisions contained in a recently released advanced notice of proposed rulemaking from CMS on the International Drug Pricing Index for Part B drugs and a recently proposed rule on the Medicare Advantage and Part D Program.
On Nov 1, 2018 CMS issued a proposed rule that updates Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D Programs. The proposed rule would allow MA plans to offer “additional telehealth benefits”, makes changes to dual-eligible special needs plans, would allow Part D plans to request standardized extracts of Medicare claims data about its plan enrollees, and proposes enhancements to star ratings.