Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Allowing Medicare To Negotiate Drug Prices Is A Top Priority, Says Likely Chairman Of Energy And Commerce Committee
The Hill: Incoming Dem Chairman: Medicare Negotiating Drug Prices Is A Priority
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), who is slated to be the next chairman of a House committee overseeing drug prices, said Wednesday that his top priorities on the issue are allowing Medicare to negotiate prices and speeding the approval of cheaper generic drugs. Pallone, who is set to become chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in January, pointed to President Trump’s support for those two policies in expressing hope for a bipartisan deal. (Sullivan, 11/14)
CQ: HHS Moves Ahead On Drug Prices, Regardless Of House Shake-Up
Trump administration health officials on Wednesday downplayed the impact of Democratic control of the House on plans to address drug prices, saying federal officials are pursuing policies through routes that don’t need congressional action. The head of Medicare and Medicaid announced a development on one such policy: the approval of a proposal by Michigan to negotiate rebates with drug manufacturers based on whether a drug leads to a desired outcome for patients. (Siddons, 11/14)
Stat: In Michigan, Medicaid Can Now Pay For Drugs Based On How Well They Work
The Trump administration gave Michigan’s Medicaid program permission to pay for drugs based in part on how well the drugs work, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma announced Wednesday. “Michigan’s waiver will empower it to demand results from drug manufacturers in exchange for paying for medicines,” Verma said in a speech at an industry conference. (Swetlitz, 11/14)
In other drug costs news —
Chicago Tribune: Illinois Backs Off Limits On Which Medicaid Patients Can Get Costly But Lifesaving Hepatitis C Drugs
After years of having one of the most restrictive policies in the nation, Illinois will now allow as many as 7,000 more people on Medicaid with hepatitis C to get medications that can cure the disease. Previously, only the sickest people, who had later stages of liver scarring and could prove their sobriety, got Medicaid coverage for the medications. Medicaid is a state and federally funded health insurance program for the poor, disabled and many elderly people. If left untreated hepatitis C can lead to liver failure, cancer and even death. (Schencker, 11/14)
Columbus Dispatch: Despite State Warning, CVS Caremark Has Not Reversed Cuts To Pharmacists
Two weeks after CVS Caremark promised to reverse cuts in payments to Ohio pharmacists, many pharmacies report they are still losing money on Medicaid prescriptions. That means that CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefit manager and middleman in the pharmacy supply chain, continues to charge taxpayers who fund Medicaid more than it pays pharmacists to fill prescriptions for the poor and disabled. (Sullivan and Candisky, 11/14)
Modern Healthcare: How Insurers Can Speed Up Adoption Of Evidence-Based Care
New drugs offering a cure for hepatitis C patients hit the market a few years ago with jaw-dropping price tags. A 12-week course of treatment could eliminate the deadly liver infection, but at a cost of nearly $100,000. So Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health Plan sought to ensure it would get the most bang for its buck by eliminating variation in treatment and improving the quality of care. (Livingston, 11/14)
Stat: Covering Pricey Therapies Like CAR-T Is ‘Not Sustainable,’ Hospital Chief Says
Hospitals are thrilled that they’re now able to offer cancer patients pioneering CAR-T treatments, but they’re also running into the omnipresent problem surrounding these and other next-generation therapies: cost. In a speech Wednesday at the Personalized Medicine Conference, Dr. Betsy Nabel, the president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said her hospital and others in the Partners HealthCare system are not being reimbursed fully when they treat patients with CAR-T therapies, leaving the providers to subsidize the treatments. (Joseph, 11/14)
