Medicare drug pricing proposal met with little support on Capitol Hill

The five-year pilot program to reduce drug prices in Medicare Part B proposed by the Obama administration has proved unpopular on both sides of the aisle in Congress, The Hill reports.

Republicans want to abandon the bill altogether and Rep. Larry Buschon (R-Ind.) told The Hill he plans to propose a bill Friday to block the pilot.

Democrats in both the U.S. Senate and House have expressed concerns with the proposal as it exists. Democrats from the Senate Finance Committee wrote a letter to the administration expressing concerns the program could limit patient access to treatment, according to the report. House Democrats penned a similar letter expressing 11 chief concerns, including how it relates to rural providers, according to the report.

The proposal would change the way Medicare Part B reimburses providers for drugs. It currently pays providers the average price of a drug plus 6 percent. Under the proposed bill, the 6 percent would be reduced to 2.5 percent plus a $16 flat fee, according to The Hill.

HHS maintained its support for the bill despite Congressional concerns, according to the report.

 

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