The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in response to its Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care [HHS-OCR-0945-AA00].
On January 31, 2019 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed sweeping changes to the current system for medication pricing and contracting by pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies in federal programs--namely Medicare Part D and Medicaid programs.
The CREATES Act is a bipartisan, market-based solution to increase competition and thus lower prescription drug prices for patients and consumers. This reform helps speed the introduction of generic and biosimilar medicines by facilitating the purchase of brand name drug samples on market-based terms from pharmaceutical companies who otherwise would use anticompetitive tactics to block access.
February 2019 News & Views: General Session Keynote Speaker: Margaret Heffernan; AMCP's Response to the HHS Rebate Proposal; Proceedings on New Payment Models for High-Cost Medications
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.
Leg-Reg Briefing February 2019: Congress Focuses on Pharmaceutical Pricing; States Introduce Bills Affecting Managed Care Pharmacy; Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care
On January 30, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an Advanced Notice of Methodological Changes for Calendar Year (CY) 2020 for Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates, Part C and Part D Payment Policies and 2020 Draft Call Letter, known as the “ draft Call Letter.” The draft Call Letter outlines payment amounts for beneficiary cost sharing, risk corridors for Part C and Part D plans, and beneficiary payments for calendar year 2020.