Physician Specialty Groups Caution Against Proposed Drug Pricing Changes

Nine of the nation’s leading physician groups – including the American College of Rheumatology, American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and American Urological Association – joined together this week to urge the Trump Administration to reconsider some of the policy changes suggested in recent drug pricing proposals that would have negative effects on patient care. In a letter sent to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, the groups cautioned that the Administration’s proposal to consolidate certain physician-administered drugs covered under Medicare Part B into the Part D program while reducing physician reimbursements for new drugs below the current payment rates would create access issues and force patients to seek treatment in higher-cost sites of care. “While are we are supportive of some concepts recently presented, we do have serious concerns regarding other policy suggestions,” stated the letter, “We believe HHS should make policy proposals designed to reflect the needs of complex care patients, reduce administrative burdens, and increase access to care.” In the letter, the groups note that Medicare Part B and D are different programs with differing formulary structures and that cost sharing would be difficult to consolidate without significantly increasing out-of-pocket costs for patients – especially those who have no choice but to rely on biologics. And because Medicare Part D doe...
Source: Policy and Medicine - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs