On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule (IFR) with comment period implementing a mandatory “Most Favored Nation” demonstration model (MFN Model) to test...more
11/24/2020
/ Biologics ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Medicare Part B ,
Most-Favored Nations ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Reimbursements
On Tuesday, September 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule addressing the Medicare coverage standard and expedited coverage for certain medical devices. If finalized, the...more
On June 17, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Proposed Rule (link) that would materially modify current Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP) regulations. Comments are due no later than 5:00 p.m....more
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Congress, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), many state legislatures and state Medicaid programs, and private payers have implemented significant changes to...more
In a late-night announcement on Friday, 1 November, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) gave cancer providers the first look at a possible sequel to the Oncology Care Model (OCM).
...more
11/8/2019
/ Bundled Services ,
Cancer ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Life Sciences ,
Payment Methods ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Request For Information ,
Rulemaking Process
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new details of a proposed bundled payment model for radiation oncology services (RO Model), which would make fundamental (but temporary) changes to the...more
Government seeks industry comment on expediting medical product development -
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Immediate Office of the Secretary (IOS) has announced it will hold a public meeting...more
On 23 April 2019 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year (FY) 2020...more
4/29/2019
/ Add-ons ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Life Sciences ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medical Devices ,
Payment Systems ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Request For Information ,
Rulemaking Process
Through several recently published rules, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making it possible for Medicare beneficiaries to have greater access to health care services provided remotely through telehealth...more
On October 25, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) describing a potential mandatory model to test Medicare reimbursement based on an "International...more
10/30/2018
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Biologics ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physician Medicare Reimbursements ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements
President Trump yesterday touted “bold” plans to lower drug prices in unspecific terms. Simultaneously, CMS issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANRPM), describing options to test Medicare reimbursement based on...more
On October 15, CMS released a proposed rule titled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Drug Pricing Transparency,” which would require direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for prescription drugs covered by Medicare or...more
10/24/2018
/ Advertising ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Compelled Speech ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Direct to Consumer Sales ,
Drug Pricing ,
First Amendment ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
PHRMA ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Rules ,
Registration Requirement ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Television Commercials ,
Trump Administration
On May 11, 2018, President Trump and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar delivered highly anticipated speeches regarding the administration's plan to reduce drug prices.
...more
5/15/2018
/ Biosimilars ,
Comment Period ,
Competition ,
Drug Pricing ,
Life Sciences ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration
On April 9, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Benefit and Payment Parameters final rule for 2019 (2019 Payment Notice) applicable to qualified health plans (QHPs) offered on health...more
On Friday, March 16, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) tests for Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer.
...more
The recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 expands Medicare’s coverage for telehealth services in several ways. Inclusion of these provisions, which had been part of a Senate bill called the CHRONIC Care Act, is...more
On February 12, 2018, the White House Office of Management and Budget released an overview of the president's Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget (the Budget), which makes, among many others, several proposals regarding drug pricing...more
2/16/2018
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Federal Budget ,
MDRP ,
Medicaid Reimbursements ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration
This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released details on the much-anticipated new version of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) payment model, which will be known as BPCI Advanced. Like...more
On Tuesday, June 20, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Proposed Rule to continue the rollout of the Quality Payment Program (QPP), an initiative to adjust Medicare payments to eligible clinicians...more
On June 22, 2017, Republican Senators released a “discussion draft” of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). The draft is the first public glimpse at the Senate version of the American Health Care Act bill, which...more
6/23/2017
/ Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Individual Mandate ,
Medicaid ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
On 4 May 2017, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that would repeal and replace key portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), narrowly passed the House of Representatives. The bill, however, faces an uncertain...more
On 14 April 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective...more
On March 6, 2017, House Republicans in the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce introduced the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that would repeal and replace key portions of the...more
3/9/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Repeal ,
Subsidiaries ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Rates ,
Trump Administration
The Trump administration has been vocal in its criticism of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and already has worked with the Republican-controlled Congress to begin rolling back key provisions of the legislation. The promised...more
On Friday, January 20, 2017—within hours of President Trump’s inauguration—the new Administration took its first executive actions. These executive actions included:
President Trump's issuance of an Executive Order...more
1/23/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Register ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Trump Administration