Families USA Submits Comments on CMS’ Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program Proposed Rule

Families USA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on its proposed rule (CMS-4215-P) implementing the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program.
Families USA strongly supports the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS') proposal to codify the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program into the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, including codifying existing policies established under sub-regulatory guidance from the first three years of program implementation. Our comments address four specific sections of the proposed rule that will shape whether future rounds of negotiation succeed in reducing high and unreasonable drug prices:

• Reinstating a fuller public list of drugs eligible for negotiation,
• Closing a "product hopping" loophole that lets drug companies dodge negotiation by making minor tweaks to existing drugs
• Rejecting the use of therapeutic alternative prices - already distorted by market failures - as the starting point for setting a fair price

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with CMS on the implementation of this program, as well as other efforts to lower the high costs of prescription drugs.