NCPA January 27, 2021
In a letter to the acting administrator of CMS, NCPA urged the agency to rescind the Most Favored Nations rule for Medicare Part B Drugs and Biologicals. A summary of the MFN model can be found here. NCPA asked CMS to work with NCPA and other stakeholders to identify more appropriate models to curb the cost of prescription drugs. NCPA comments highlighted concerns related to patient access, specifically creating a situation where pharmacists are unable to acquire MFN model drugs at prices commensurate with MFN model reimbursement. The letter also raised several legal concerns, which have led federal courts to block implementation of the MFN rule in three separate cases, each order effectively blocking the MFN rule from taking effect. These legal developments, in addition to the Regulatory Freeze Pending Review memo issued by the Biden administration on Jan. 20, mean that the MFN rule will not take effect in the short term.
VERIFY: Claims that President Biden is increasing insulin prices are false
Some media, politicians and social media users are claiming President Joe Biden raised the cost of insulin during his first week in the Oval Office. Author: Bob Segall Updated: 9:33 AM CST January 27, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS On the campaign trail, he pledged to help reduce the cost of prescription drugs.
But now some media, politicians and social media users are claiming President Joe Biden raised the cost of insulin during his first week in the Oval Office.
A FOX News headline stated Biden administration freezes Trump HHS rule meant to lower insulin prices.” A Twitter post with more than 1,400 likes says Biden is deliberately causing insulin prices to go up, and hundreds of other tweets claim Biden raised the price of insulin. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn) asked on social media, “Why does President Biden want to raise insulin prices on Americans?”
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On 7 January 2021, the Trump administration finalized a new rule that limits the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA or the Act).
1 Under the new rule (which President Biden has already directed the Department of the Interior (Interior) to review), the Fish and Wildlife Service (the FWS) has declared that the MBTA covers only intentional, and not incidental, take of protected birds, memorializing a memorandum that was rejected by a federal court last August.
2 The new rule if it withstands legal challenges and efforts by the Biden administration and Congress to reverse it significantly reduces the activities that would result in liability under the Act, and as a result, reduces the risks businesses and developers face.