Podcast — Drug Pricing: How Are Payers Responding to the IRA?
Podcast: IP(DC): Drug Prices, Political Pressures & Patents
Key points include access to medicines in medicare is reduced as the IRA is implemented; fewer drugs are covered on Medicare Part D formularies in 2025 relative to 2024; medicines for serious conditions with high unmet needs...more
Attorneys from Ropes & Gray attended the Medicarians Conference from March 31 to April 2, a premier event for Medicare Advantage (MA) and other health insurance brokers, agents, and distribution arms, as well as regional and...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released on April 4, 2025, the final rule for contract year (CY) 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit...more
Two recent announcements from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offer early indicators as to how the Trump administration, including CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, may approach the Medicare Advantage (MA)...more
This past week, the Trump administration put its first major stamp on the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two final regulatory documents related to MA: - The...more
Health care providers and payers have been subject to a flurry of developments at the federal level in recent weeks. Considering that health care represents almost 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product, this was perhaps...more
Looking Ahead: House to Vote on Compromise Budget Resolution On the heels of the U.S. Senate's passage of a compromise budget resolution, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider the budget resolution on the...more
Below is Alston & Bird’s Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in health care regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies,...more
Evaluating current formulary access for the 25 drugs selected for Drug Price Negotiation in Medicare Part D shows several selected drugs have higher co-pays in 2025 relative to 2024 - Introduction - The Inflation Reduction...more
Key Takeaways - - CMS is expected to issue the 2026 final rate notice for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans by April 7, 2025. - The January 2025 advance notice proposed policies that would increase payments to MA...more
The health care regulatory space realized significant regulatory and enforcement developments in 2024 that are influencing how providers and industry stakeholders approach various compliance measures and enforcement...more
Last week, the contract year (CY) 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D final reg entered the clearance process at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As mentioned in a previous Regs & Eggs blog post, OMB’s review is...more
During the first weeks of the second Trump Administration, a number of executive orders and other actions have been implemented, with some having potential implications for employee benefits. Executive Orders can, and do,...more
On January 23, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rejected a challenge to Advisory Opinion 22-19 (the “Advisory Opinion”) issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services,...more
On January 23, 2025, in Pharmaceutical Coalition for Patient Access v. United States, the Fourth Circuit held that a proposed patient assistance program, which would help cancer patients afford certain oncology drugs, would...more
As detailed in our previous updates, the IRA’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (the Negotiation Program or Program), which enables the federal government to negotiate prices for some of the costliest Medicare Part D...more
Last year was a pivotal year for the pharmaceutical industry. Under the IRA’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (the Negotiation Program), the US government negotiated the prices of 10 selected high-expenditure,...more
Mintz’s Pharmacy Benefits and PBM Contracting Practice is pleased to present the ‘Fourth Edition: Q1 2025’ of our Mintz IRA Update, a regular publication that delves into developments of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022...more
In addition to the Part D Benefit Redesign, the IRA’s Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP) went into effect beginning January 1, 2025. The MPPP requires Part D Sponsors (PDPs) to allow Part D beneficiaries to pay for...more
A few weeks ago, Regs & Eggs provided insights into Medicare Advantage (MA), the private insurance option under Medicare, and explored both short- and long-term actions that the Trump administration could take to modify MA...more
Drug manufacturers remain steadfast in their efforts to challenge the constitutionality of the Inflation Reduction Act’s mandatory price negotiation provisions. Recently filed suits contend that CMS has impermissibly expanded...more
Each year, employers that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible individuals through a group health plan must complete a two-step process regarding the prescription drug coverage they offer to active...more
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, made changes to the way drugs are covered and reimbursed in Medicare. While some of the changes taking effect this year could save the government money, beneficiaries may...more
March 1 brings two annual deadlines for employers that sponsor a group health plan for their employees....more
Pfizer Settles Its Subsidiary’s Kickback Allegations for Nearly $60 Million - Pfizer Inc. agreed to pay over $59,746,277 to resolve allegations that its wholly owned subsidiary, Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company...more