If you were looking for something fun to read while snow shuts down our nation’s capital tomorrow, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) just released the long-awaited Final Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Rule on Average Manufacture Price (AMP) (et al.)!  The publication of this Final AMP Rule follows the 2012 publication of CMS’s highly controversial proposed policies implementing various changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program enacted under the Affordable Care Act.  This rule has significant potential to impact drug manufacturers’ calculations and policies regarding the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and pricing more generally, and should be carefully reviewed by all interested parties.   It is being issued as a final rule with comment period.

We are currently reviewing the 657 pages of material, and plan to provide more substantive commentary in a subsequent post.  For those of you playing along at home, the rule is expected to appear in the February 1, 2016, Federal Register, and comments are expected to be due by 5:00 PM Eastern April 1, 2016 (which is also the effective date of the rule).  Separately, State Medicaid Agencies must comply with certain rule requirements by submitting a State Plan Amendment (SPA) by June 30, 2017 to be effective no later than April 1, 2017.

Stay tuned…

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