New strains set in to Covid-19 plans, lingo
Presented by CVS Health
On Tap
as WHO discusses terminology and the U.S. braces for surges. A plea to providers: Stop stockpiling shots.
Federal officials urge providers to move second doses. States struggle with vaccine disparities
in bumpy coronavirus shot rollouts.
It’s Tuesday, welcome back to Prescription Pulse. Important question: How is it already February? Explain the passage of time and send me pharma tips at [email protected] or @owermohle. Loop in David Lim ([email protected] or @davidalim) and Brianna Ehley ([email protected] or @briannaehley).
A message from CVS Health:
Photo by Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images
A rebate rule the Biden Administration had already delayed until March 22 has been pushed out further to January 1, 2023.
The rule, scheduled under the Trump Administration to take effect on January 1, 2022, is being delayed by court order issued January 30, in a lawsuit by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association against the Department of Health and Human Services.
PCMA is challenging the rule that would replace safe harbor protections for drug rebates in Medicare Part D with discounts for consumers at the pharmacy counter.
The case is being held in abeyance pending the duration of HHS s review of the November 20, 2020 rule. The parties have been ordered to submit a joint status report identifying whether and how this case should proceed by not later than April 1.
HHS further delays Trump-era drug rebate rule
Modern Healthcare Illustration / Getty Images
The Trump-era drug rebate rule won t fully take effect until at least Jan. 1, 2023, according to a court filing on Friday.
The Biden administration last week delayed the regulation s effective date until March 22. But HHS didn t change the Jan. 1, 2022, start date for changes to the policy s safe harbor protections the rule s key provision. Now federal regulators have agreed to put off those changes for another year in response to an ongoing lawsuit by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. We are encouraged by this important first step in ensuring this bad policy does not go into effect. The delay will provide a much-needed pause to allow the administration ample opportunity to better understand the rebate rule s harmful impact on millions of Americans, America s Health Insurance Plans CEO Matt Eyles said in a statement.
POLITICO
Get the Prescription Pulse newsletter
Email
Sign Up
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Presented by CVS Health
With David Lim, Brianna Ehley and Emily Martin
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Prescription Pulse will not publish from Friday, Dec. 25 to Friday, Jan. 1. We ll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Jan. 4. See you in 2021!
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge added an impressive win to the list of her achievements when the Supreme Court ruled in her favor on Thursday, against the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.
Craig Wilson, with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvements wrote in October: âThe Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which is the national trade association for PBMs, maintains that federal law, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA, preempts the 2015 Arkansas law, prohibiting the state from directly regulating how plans pay for benefits.â
Justice Sonia Sotomayor delivered the opinion of the Court, in which all other members joined except Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.