Perspectives: CMS Takes Steps to Ensure Patients Benefit From Negotiated Discounts

The Hill: Seniors — Not Middlemen — Deserve The Medicare Part D Discounts
For more than a decade, Medicare Part D has successfully provided nearly 42 million seniors affordable access to vital prescription medications. This program is often held up as a model of a successful public-private partnership, consistently arriving under budget while maintaining a high satisfaction rate among enrollees. Despite the program’s many successes, there are always ways to improve. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently took their first steps toward enacting new policies that could help seniors save more money at the pharmacy counter. In a recently proposed rule updating the Part D program, CMS included a Request for Information (RFI) on ways to ensure that manufacturer-negotiated discounts and rebates are reflected at the point-of-sale for patients. The core of this idea is simple: accountability and more savings for seniors at the pharmacy. (Thair Phillips, 2/6)

Forbes: With Proposed Plan D Rule, CMS Seeks To Share More Savings With Beneficiaries
As we approach the 2018 midterm elections, health care will surely be one of the most important, discussed issues during the campaign cycle. While leaders from both parties will debate the necessary reforms, both sides must agree that one program in particular that has exceeded expectations in delivering healthy outcomes and tremendous cost savings—Medicare Part D. (Doug Schoen, 2/2)

The Florida Times Union: Hospitals, Big Businesses Attack High Health Care Costs
The first is the announcement that about 300 hospitals are joining to deal with shortages and high prices of some drugs. Among those is the Ascension system, which includes Jacksonville’s St. Vincent’s hospitals. The Veterans Administration has expressed interest in joining, as well.“This is a shot across the bow of the bad guys,” said Marc Harrrison, chief executive of Intermountain Healthcare, a nonprofit in Salt Lake City as quoted in The New York Times. (2/6)

Forbes: Drug Companies Need To Do Their Jobs
President Trump emphasized during his State of the Union address his determination to fulfill a campaign promise to lower prescription drug prices.His administration already is making progress: Food and Drugs Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is leading his agency to dramatically accelerate approval of generic drugs.  Competition in generic drugs – which make up 87% of drug consumption in the U.S. – will lower costs and improve the supply line.  It also will keep bad actors like Martin Shkreli from finding and exploiting production gaps that allowed him to increase the price of an old but vital drug, Daraprim, 56-fold from $13.50 to $750 per pill until a competitor showed up. (Grace-Marie Turner, 2/5)

Bloomberg: Allergan Earnings: Road To Recovery Isn't Smooth
After a year of share-price misery, Allergan PLC finally got a boost on Tuesday. Better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and positive trial data for a migraine drug helped Allergan shares rise in early trading -- a genuine achievement in the current market environment. But generic competition looms for its second-best-selling product Restasis, which will hurt sales this year. Allergan still needs to prove it knows where the sales floor is and that it can rapidly return to growth. (Max Nisen, 2/6)

Bloomberg: Bristol-Myers Squibb Opdivo Combo Data: A Meager Victory
Victories come in multiple sizes. And Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s latest isn't quite an Eagles Super Bowl win.Alongside solid fourth-quarter earnings on Monday, the company said early trial data showed its immune-boosting cancer drug Opdivo, in combination with its older drug Yervoy, slowed lung cancer relative to traditional chemotherapy. While investors should be thrilled this trial so far isn't a flop like AstraZeneca PLC's similar effort, they ought to wait to pop champagne.  (Max Nisen, 2/5)