New Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy Findings Has Been Reported by Howard Weston Schmutz et al (Challenges of the Inflation Reduction Act for long-term care pharmacy: Examining impact and policy solutions): Drugs and Therapies – Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy

2026 FEB 23 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Fresh data on Drugs and Therapies - Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating in Salt Lake City, Utah, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contains several health care provisions aimed at reducing costs for Medicare beneficiaries. Although these goals are critical, the legislation may have unintentional adverse impacts on long-term care (LTC) pharmacies.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research, “This article examines how specific provisions of The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 may destabilize the LTC pharmacy sector, creating barriers to access for LTC residents.We analyze the financial implications of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, illustrating how the shift to maximum fair price reimbursement combined with inadequate dispensing fees could result in an estimated revenue decline of more than 85% for drugs selected within the program. We also outline how new payment flows for the maximum fair price involving the Medicare Transaction Facilitator will likely extend reimbursement timelines, creating liquidity challenges for pharmacies operating on thin margins.Beyond finances, we discuss operational conflicts with the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. Specifically, we argue that alerting requirements are incompatible with LTC workflows and pose unnecessary administrative burden on pharmacies. To address these vulnerabilities, we propose near-term legislative and regulatory remedies, including appropriating funds to ensure timely manufacturing payments and codifying the standard default refund amount to protect acquisition discounts. Finally, we recommend structural reforms that shift reimbursement away from volume-based models to value-based care.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “By aligning payment with patient outcomes, policymakers can ensure the financial sustainability of LTC pharmacies and the continued delivery of highly effective pharmaceutical care to the nation’s aging population.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Challenges of the Inflation Reduction Act for long-term care pharmacy: Examining impact and policy solutions. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 2026:1-9. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy can be contacted at: Acad Managed Care Pharmacy, 100 N Pitt St, 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-3134, USA.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Howard Weston Schmutz, Schmutz Health Solutions LLC, Salt Lake City, UT. Additional authors for this research include Shiven Bhardwaj, Jonathan H. Watanabe and Douglas Barthold.

The publisher of the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy can be contacted at: Acad Managed Care Pharmacy, 100 N Pitt St, 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-3134, USA.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)