Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bipartisan Bill Seeks To Overturn New Cuts In Some Medicare Drug Payments
Stat: Lawmakers Push Bill To Reverse A Trump Rule Over Medicare Drug Discounts
A group of lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill to reverse a Trump administration rule that would cut Medicare reimbursement for medicines purchased under the federal 340B Drug Discount Program, which was designed to boost revenues for hospitals that primarily serve low-income patients. The cut is estimated to save Medicare and its beneficiaries about $1.6 billion next year. The sponsors were among dozens of lawmakers who two months ago wrote the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to argue that cutting reimbursement is a “misguided policy” that would limit the ability of hospitals to serve vulnerable patients. They further maintained the move would not reduce drug costs, as the pharmaceutical industry has suggested. (Silverman, 11/16)
Kaiser Health News: Medicare Seeks Comment On Ways To Cut Costs Of Part D Drugs
Noting that the true price of a drug is often hidden from consumers, Medicare officials requested comments late Thursday on how to use discounts and rebates to help decrease what enrollees pay for prescriptions. The proposal request, buried in hundreds of pages released late Thursday afternoon, asked for public comment on how to share the rebates and discounts that are negotiated by manufacturers, pharmacists and insurers. Insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, administer Medicare’s Part D drug program and negotiate behind-the-scenes fees and discounts that are often hidden from public view. (Tribble, 11/16)
Politico Pro: CMS Proposes Drug Payment Changes To Reduce Patient Costs
CMS is proposing a number of changes to Medicare Part D that the agency says should ensure beneficiaries have access to more affordable drugs. The moves would likely lead to lower cost-sharing for patients and might provide some savings for taxpayers, but they would not directly affect the underlying prices drug companies charge for medicines. (Karlin-Smith, 11/16)
Modern Healthcare: Improper Medicare Payments Drop By Nearly $5 Billion
The CMS on Wednesday reported that the rate of improper payments doled out by Medicare is the lowest it's been since 2013, accounting for less than 10% of overall Medicare payments. All in all, the CMS estimated that improper payments dropped $4.9 billion from 2016 to 2017, marking a rate decrease from 11% in 2016 to 9.5% in 2017. ... The CMS estimates it doled out $36.2 billion in improper payments during the tracked period. The agency said a multifaceted strategy — including creating a more targeted claims auditing process that focuses on the highest-risk providers — helped bring the improper payment rate down. (Dickson, 11/16)
