CLOSE MENUWhile policies such as capping out-of-pocket costs for insulin have bipartisan support, groups such as Patients for Affordable Drugs Now are urging Congress not to focus on Sen. Warnock’s bill as a standalone policy. P4AD Now is concerned that passing a bill that simply shifts costs rather than controls prices would be detrimental to taxpayers and beneficiaries. To read more, click here.
The RFI, which was released shortly after the FTC vote, includes inquiries into contract terms, rebates, fees, pricing policies, steering methods, conflicts of interest, and consolidation. The FTC is looking for information on how those behaviors impact stakeholders, including patients, physicians, and pharmacies. The comment period will be open for 60 days, ending on April 25, 2022. To review the RFI and comment, click here.
The state was the first to request a closed formulary after Aduhelm was granted accelerated approval. Oregon still intends to exclude Aduhelm from their covered drugs by continuing to move forward with their request to deny coverage for accelerated approval drugs. In their waiver request, they state that since accelerated approvals are contingent on post-market testing, they should be allowed to deny coverage until the manufacturer completes those tests. To read more, click here.
Stacie Dusetzina discussed Medicare Part B “budget buster” drugs in a Tradeoffs’ feature article. In the article, Dusetzina cites a 2021 study that found Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were 5-13% more likely to be given cheaper drugs than Part B beneficiaries; in one year, Medicare could have saved $330 million just by changing prescribing behavior for four conditions. To read the full article, click here.
