Letter to CMS Pushes Medicare to Expand Competition, Increase Access to Affordable Medicine
Today, Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV-01) and Rep.
Specifically, the Members urged the following changes:
* Limit product placement to the newly established, lower cost-sharing, preferred specialty tier to only generics and biosimilars.
* Set a co-insurance percentage for the newly established preferred specialty tier that is meaningfully lower than the co-insurance for the non-preferred specialty tier. This will ensure seniors receive the full cost-savings attributed to these lower-cost products.
"Americans across the country, including the millions of seniors relying on the Medicare program, continue to face rising out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs," the Members wrote. "We share
"It is critical that CMS increases Medicare savings and addresses the abusive gaming tactics that are keeping lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines out of patients' hands," the Members continued. "Most importantly, these solutions will ensure that millions of Medicare beneficiaries are able to fully realize the benefits from lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines. Thank you in advance for your consideration and we look forward to working with you to expand patients' access to affordable medicines."
Earlier this year, Reps. Kuster and McKinley reintroduced the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act, legislation aimed at ensuring Medicare beneficiaries receive the full benefit of affordable generic drugs.
The full letter is available here https://kuster.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Tiering_Letter.pdf, and printed below:
Dear Secretary Becerra and Administrator Brooks-LaSure:
Americans across the country, including the millions of seniors relying on the Medicare program, continue to face rising out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. We share
Building on the proposal recently finalized in the Contract Year 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule (CMS-4190-F2), to establish a second specialty tier for Medicare Part D plans, we strongly encourage you to take further steps to strengthen this policy and reduce patients' out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy by implementing the following changes:
* Limit product placement to the newly established, lower cost-sharing, preferred specialty tier to only generics and biosimilars.
* Set a co-insurance percentage for the newly established preferred specialty tier that is meaningfully lower than the co-insurance for the non-preferred specialty tier. This will ensure seniors receive the full cost-savings attributed to these lower-cost products.
Implementing these commonsense policy solutions align with the President's goal of improving Medicare beneficiary access to affordable medicines and will significantly enhance market competition. It is critical that CMS increases Medicare savings and addresses the abusive gaming tactics that are keeping lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines out of patients' hands. Most importantly, these solutions will ensure that millions of Medicare beneficiaries are able to fully realize the benefits from lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and we look forward to working with you to expand patients' access to affordable medicines.
Sincerely,
Member of
Member of
Read this original document at: https://mckinley.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3152
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