Podcast — Drug Pricing: How Are Payers Responding to the IRA?
Podcast: IP(DC): Drug Prices, Political Pressures & Patents
On August 15, 2024, CMS announced the results of the first round of the negotiated prices between CMS and participating drug manufacturers for the 10 selected drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Medicare Drug...more
On April 1, 2024, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Announcement of Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates and Part C and D Payment Policies (Rate Announcement). CMS...more
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia recently dismissed an appeal by the Pharmaceutical Coalition for Patient Access (“PCPA”) that challenged a negative opinion issued by the U.S. Department...more
House Energy and Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on Healthcare Costs. The hearing included discussion on what factors are causing cost increases for individuals, for the healthcare sector, and for federal health programs...more
Last week, McDermott+Consulting launched an election 2024 resource page, where you can find a 2024 health policy outlook and other insights into the November election. While regulations aren’t necessarily top-of-mind when...more
In November 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule, “Medicare Program; Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System: Remedy for the 340B-Acquired Drug Payment Policy for Calendar...more
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has provided new updates on CMS’ planned initiatives to address prescription drug costs in a blog post from Director Liz Fowler. One test, the Accelerating Clinical...more
In 2024, Medicare will, for the first time, have authority under the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers. On August 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid...more
On August 29, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the ten (10) Medicare Part D drugs selected for the first round of negotiations of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (Program)—a few...more
August 31, 2023 – When it comes to prescription drug costs, policymakers have set their focus on the consumer: “Let’s lower drug prices for the consumer.” “Let’s give consumers more options in paying their out-of-pocket...more
This month, pharmaceutical manufacturer, Merck & Co., Inc. (“Merck”), as well as four chambers of commerce, have filed suits against the federal government, arguing that the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program introduced...more
On May 12, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Draft Guidance on the Part D Manufacturer Discount Program (“Discount Program”)—a key component of the Part D Redesign provisions of the Inflation...more
CMS published the Calendar Year (“CY”) 2024 Medicare Advantage (“MA”) Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies (“Rate Announcement“) on March 31 and, five days later, issued the MA and Part D final rule for...more
The Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”) requires drug manufacturers to pay rebates to Medicare when the prices of their Part B and Part D prescription drug increase faster than the rate of inflation. We recently discussed the...more
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). The drug pricing provisions in Subtitle B of Title I of the IRA, entitled “Prescription Drug Pricing Reform,” enact government...more
As the final votes of the 2022 Midterm Elections are counted, Republicans have taken back control of the House of Representatives, while the Democrats will retain control of the Senate. Both chambers will be held by extremely...more
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights significant activity between September 21 and October 20, 2022. We review several criminal and civil enforcement actions related to Anti-Kickback Statute...more
On January 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Contract Year 2023 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs proposed rule,...more
As reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6) on April 22, 2021 after originally being introduced on September 19, 2019, H.R. 3, also known as known as the Elijah E. Cummings Lower...more
The Big Picture - Before leaving for its August recess, the Senate made progress on two major Biden Administration priorities by passing bipartisan infrastructure legislation and a fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget resolution....more
The U.S. House of Representatives is considering dueling proposals related to drug pricing under Medicaid and Medicare, including the Republican-led H.R. 19, the “Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021” and a reintroduced...more
With the change of administrations typically comes a flurry of activity across all government agencies, and the same can be expected with the official start of the Biden Administration now well underway. What should...more
On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) finalized its previously abandoned 2019 proposal to exclude certain rebates paid by drug manufacturers from the...more
Although delayed as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency, there are persistent and ongoing efforts to reform the Medicare Part D benefit. Since its June 2016 Report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory...more
In an evening email that is sure to ruin the weekend for many, CMS announced on February 5, 2020, that it is proposing changes to the Medicare Advantage and Part D Programs for CY 2021 and 2022. CMS will not issue a Call...more