Podcast — Drug Pricing: How Are Payers Responding to the IRA?
Podcast: IP(DC): Drug Prices, Political Pressures & Patents
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule, which was published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2025. The comment period ends on September...more
Our Drug Pricing and Market Access team tracks recent developments in healthcare reform, the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, the 340B Program, Medicare, and state law....more
Some commentators are expecting that further details regarding the so-called most favored nation (MFN) pricing policy will be released in the coming days, while other sources indicate that no further information beyond a...more
On April 15, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published the Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes Final Rule which amends the regulations governing various Medicare programs, including the...more
On November 26, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the contract year 2026 proposed rule for the Medicare Advantage (“MA”) program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program (“Part D”),...more
The price of prescription drugs has brought scrutiny to the entire drug supply chain. Congress and other policymakers continue to seek opportunities to lower costs for patients and the federal government. Pharmacy benefit...more
This legislative session, Florida has joined Arkansas and Oklahoma among the most regulatory-minded states with respect to pharmacy benefit plans and programs as well as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Florida's...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued initial guidance on how the agency expects the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (the “Negotiation Program”) to operate. The Negotiation Program was...more
Despite a busy 2022, drug pricing remains a hot topic at the federal and state levels, with a number of recent developments and trends worth monitoring heading into 2023. In the past year, the FTC increasingly focused on the...more
2022 Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Summit Concludes: The annual Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Summit took place Oct. 12-14 in Chicago. Latham partner Christopher H. Schott spoke at two sessions: the panel “Ask the Attorneys:...more
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected today to pass legislation passed by the U.S. Senate that will significantly alter the landscape for pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement under the Medicare program for certain...more
Below is Alston & Bird’s Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in healthcare regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies, and...more
The recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) memorandum to all Medicare Advantage Organizations, Part D Sponsors, and Medicare-Medicaid Plans (CMS Memo) does not provide any express relief for specialty...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Contract Year 2021 and 2022 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicaid Program,...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released three items relating to the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs: a proposed rule, Part II of the Advance Notice and Rate Announcement for Calendar Year...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
Omnicare and CVS Face Fraudulent Billing Lawsuit - On Tuesday, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced a False Claims Act lawsuit against Omnicare, Inc. and its parent company, CVS Health...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
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report on July 1, 2019, finding that Medicare Part D contracts between Medicare Prescription Drug Plan sponsors and drug...more
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new Medicare Part D demonstration to address the potential implementation of a recent proposed rule that would exclude from anti-kickback safe harbor...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 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
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