Podcast — Drug Pricing: How Are Payers Responding to the IRA?
Podcast: IP(DC): Drug Prices, Political Pressures & Patents
Several April releases seem to signal some basis for optimism for stakeholders in Medicare Advantage and Part D, though with sufficient undertones to recommend caution....more
On April 4, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the contract year (“CY”) 2026 final rule for the Medicare Advantage (“MA”) program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program (“Part D”),...more
This Week in Washington: House passes Lower Costs, More Transparency Act and SUPPORT Act Reauthorization; Senate HELP Committee reports SUPPORT Act Reauthorization and three other bills out of committee; ONC releases final...more
On November 15, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule titled Contract Year 2025 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit...more
Impact on Pharmacies, Part D Payors, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, and Drug Manufacturers - On April 29, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule, Medicare Advantage and Part D Final...more
On April 29, 2022, CMS issued its final rule for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans with updates including reduced out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and improved consumer protections. CMS published the final...more
This Week in Washington: Continuing Resolution Moves Forward and Senate Sets Up Vote on FDA Commissioner Nomination this Week...more
The next post in our series analyzing the recently proposed Contract Year 2023 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs rule (Proposed Rule) focuses on a...more
n January 6, 2022, CMS published a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) which would revise Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) regulations. CMS simultaneously released a fact sheet (Fact...more
On January 6, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule regarding Contract Year 2023 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit...more
GAO recently released a report analyzing the use of pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) and efforts to manage drug spending and use in the Medicare Part D program. Importantly, the report found that use of PBMs reduced Part D...more
The pharmaceutical industry invests billions in research and development. And as a result, the pharmaceutical industry has brought—and continues to bring—beneficial, life-saving, life-prolonging, life-enhancing, and...more
The proposed rule evidences the HHS' and the Administration's continued interest in reducing federal spending for pharmaceutical products. On February 6, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") published...more
Continuing the Trump administration’s efforts to lower drug prices and reduce patient out-of-pocket costs, on February 6,2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS”) released a...more
Upcoming Hearings - Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 - Senate Finance Committee: “Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part II” - The second hearing in a series on drug pricing in the Senate Finance Committee...more
On February 6, 2019, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the “OIG”) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule (the “Proposed Rule”) that, if made final in its...more
On January 31, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) issued a long-awaited proposed rule (the “Proposed Rule”) which, if finalized, would modify the discount safe harbor under the federal Anti-Kickback...more
On February 6, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) that would amend the safe harbor regulations under the Federal Anti-Kickback...more
On January 31, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) that would restrict safe harbor protection under the federal Anti-Kickback...more
The Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (“OIG”) released a proposed rule to eliminate safe harbor protection under the anti-kickback statute for drug price reductions that pharmaceutical...more
On January 31, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) published a proposed rule designed to combat rising drug costs (“Proposed Rule”). The Proposed Rule seeks to...more
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published a proposed rule that would make sweeping changes to the discount and rebate arrangements between drug manufacturers on the one hand and Medicare Part D plans and...more
In an effort to respond to prescription drug pricing concerns, on January 31, 2019, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a highly anticipated, 123-page...more
On Jan. 31, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a long-awaited proposed rule that would, if finalized, remove the existing legal "safe harbor" that protects...more
On January 31, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule that would amend the discount safe harbor under the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) to eliminate protection for certain drug...more