Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiation Methodology Should Include Real-World Experience

Comment Letter Stresses Drug Pricing Timeline and Eligibility Requirements, Transparency, and Incorporating Patient and Provider Perspectives

WASHINGTON, DC – The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure urging that Medicare’s drug price negotiation program balance cost with innovation, incorporate real-world experience from patients and providers, and improve transparency in the program’s methodology.

In its comment letter, the ACR urges CMS to:

• Ensure that drug pricing timelines and eligibility requirements for negotiating high-spend drugs do not impede innovation and the development of new treatments.
• Allow greater public participation as the process evolves, including public comment periods of at least 60 or 90 days.
• Incorporate patient and provider perspectives throughout the process.
• Make drug negotiation methodologies transparent, accessible, and understandable to all stakeholders.
• Publish subsequent policies regarding drug price negotiations using the customary regulatory process including a more appropriate public comment period.

“While negotiations toward a maximum fair price are largely between the pharmaceutical industry and CMS, the implications of these negotiations are far-reaching,” said Douglas White, MD, PhD, President of the American College of Rheumatology. “We firmly believe that the real-world experience of patients and prescribers must be integrated into any attempts to identify and negotiate fair drug prices. The ACR appreciates the opportunity to contribute its experience to CMS’s process.”

Media Contact
Monica McDonald
mmcdonald@rheumatology.org
404-365-2162

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About the American College of Rheumatology
Founded in 1934, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a not-for-profit, professional association committed to advancing the specialty of rheumatology that serves nearly 8,500 physicians, health professionals, and scientists worldwide. In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. Rheumatology professionals are experts in the diagnosis, management and treatment of more than 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases.