Podcast — Drug Pricing: How Are Payers Responding to the IRA?
Podcast: IP(DC): Drug Prices, Political Pressures & Patents
Evaluating current formulary access for the 25 drugs selected for Drug Price Negotiation in Medicare Part D shows several selected drugs have higher co-pays in 2025 relative to 2024 - Introduction - The Inflation Reduction...more
Last year was a pivotal year for the pharmaceutical industry. Under the IRA’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (the Negotiation Program), the US government negotiated the prices of 10 selected high-expenditure,...more
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, made changes to the way drugs are covered and reimbursed in Medicare. While some of the changes taking effect this year could save the government money, beneficiaries may...more
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) significantly changed the popular Medicare drug programs. While an IRA policy goal is to reduce the out-of-pocket drug spending, beneficiaries may experience higher drug plan premiums and...more
At a public meeting held on January 15, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) summarized the Second Interim Staff Report (Second Report) stemming from its investigation into pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their...more
On December 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule, which, if finalized as proposed, has potentially significant implications for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and Medicare...more
On December 10, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Proposed Rule for revisions to the regulations governing the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, Medicare Prescription Benefit (Part D),...more
There are important new rules this year relating to prescription drug coverage which may be relevant to your Medicare plan beginning January 1, 2025. The “Open Enrollment” period this year during which eligible individuals...more
We Americans pay more for prescription medications than just about anywhere else on the globe. And Big Pharma keeps jacking prices higher....more
On April 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a fact sheet on the potential national coverage determination (NCD) for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV. CMS...more
Within the last few months, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued guidance that will reduce the financial burdens of paying for prescription drug coverage for Medicare patients. The guidance outlines...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
A Virginia Federal Judge recently rejected a challenge to a negative Advisory Opinion issued by the Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) that disapproved of a proposal where certain...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
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
On August 15, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued an opinion in Pharmaceutical Care Management Association v. Glen Mulready, in his official capacity as Insurance Commissioner of Oklahoma, Oklahoma...more
On November 9, the Pharmaceutical Coalition for Patient Access (PCPA) filed an action against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after HHS’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) determined that a proposed...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
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
On February 5, 2020, CMS issued a proposed rule advancing multiple updates and changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D) programs (Proposed Rule). Unlike in past years, CMS will not...more
[co-authors: Sean Feely, Senior Public Policy Specialist and Julie E. Nolan, Senior Policy Advisor] • On September 19, Speaker Pelosi released a drug pricing plan that includes proposals for Medicare direct price...more
In a rare act of bipartisanship, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced on July 23rd a chairman’s mark, the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act (PDPRA)...more
The District of Columbia District Court has again deferred its decision regarding whether to approve the merger between CVS Health and Aetna, a $69 billion transaction that was first announced back in December 2017. ...more
When it comes to something as crucial as health care, let’s keep it simple: Americans deserve better than this …...more