Congress Lobbied To Pass PBM Reforms By State Attorneys General
The National Association of Attorneys General wrote House and Senate leaders this week, asking lawmakers to pass legislation that would require pharmacy benefit managers to disclose more about their prescription drug price negotiations. Other news from the capital reports on biotech, clinical trials, child welfare, and more.
Modern Healthcare:
State AGs Call On Congress To Pass PBM Legislation
Congress has heard from another constituency supporting stricter transparency rules for pharmacy benefit managers: state attorneys general. The National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter to House and Senate leaders Tuesday asking them to address drug costs by passing legislation that would require PBMs to disclose more about their prescription drug price negotiations. (Berryman, 2/22)
Reuters:
US Bill On Chinese Biotech Firms May Be More 'Narrowly Tailored', Lawmaker Says
A bill in the U.S. Congress targeting Chinese biotech companies may end up being more "narrowly tailored", the U.S. lawmaker who proposed it said on Friday, adding that he was cautiously optimistic something could be passed this year. A congressional committee focused on China introduced a bill late last month that would restrict federally funded medical providers from allowing China's BGI Group, WuXi Apptec (603259.SS), opens new tab and other biotech firms from accessing genetic information about Americans. (Blanchard, 2/23)
In other news from the administration —
Stat:
FDA Gives A Mixed Response To Petition Seeking Greater Clinical Trial Transparency
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told an advocacy group that it is not planning to take a tougher stance against wayward clinical trial sponsors and investigators that fail to register studies or report results, a central issue in the ongoing debate over greater transparency into clinical research. (Silverman, 2/22)
NCPR:
Biden Officials Keep States Waiting On Expanding Medicaid Voter Registration
Officials in several states are waiting for the Biden administration to greenlight proposals that advocates say could enable hundreds of thousands of lower-income U.S. citizens and citizens with disabilities to vote. Despite multiple inquiries from members of Congress over the past two years, Biden officials have yet to weigh in on plans for using Medicaid application information to automatically register eligible voters when they sign up for the government-sponsored health insurance. (Wang, 2/23)
Montana Free Press:
Biden Administration Pushes For Expanded Data Collection On Indian Child Welfare Act Cases
In an effort to better understand how Native American children are faring in foster care, the Biden administration’s health department is proposing a rule that would require state child welfare systems to gather more data about child removal cases that are subject to the Indian Child Welfare Act. The proposed rule change, announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families on Thursday, would require states and tribal agencies that administer certain federal funds to submit more specific information about ICWA cases to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System, or AFCARS. (Silvers, 2/22)
And from the courts —
Reuters:
HCA Healthcare Must Face Antitrust Case Over Health Costs, US Judge Says
Hospital operations giant HCA Healthcare (HCA.N), opens new tab has lost a bid to dismiss a proposed class action in North Carolina federal court accusing it of scheming to restrict competition and artificially drive up costs for health plans. The prospective class of North Carolina health plans can move ahead with antitrust claims for now against HCA, the country's largest U.S. for-profit hospital system, Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger in Asheville ruled, opens new tab on Tuesday. (Scarcella, 2/22)
