December 16: Medicare Part B Experiment on Seniors’ Cancer Care is Dead

Published On: December 16th, 2016Categories: Uncategorized

As reported in the Capitol Hill publication POLITICO last night, CMS has released a statement shelving the Medicare Part B Payment Model.  “After considering comments, CMS will not finalize the Medicare Part B Drug Payment Model during this Administration,” an agency spokesman told POLITICO. “The proposal was intended to test whether alternative drug payment structures would improve the quality of patient care and the value of Medicare drug spending,” the spokesman added. “While there was a great deal of support from some, a number of stakeholders expressed strong concerns about the model. While CMS was working to address these concerns, the complexity of the issues and the limited time available led to the decision not to finalize the rule at this time.”

COA fought hard to stop what was a proposed perverse experiment on seniors’ cancer care that included none of the informed consent and safeguards required in clinical research. Additionally, the CMS model would have actually raised drug prices even higher, not decreased them as CMS intended, as COA pointed out and backed with data in discussions with CMS/CMMI officials and testifying to Congress.

COA does believe that the CMS innovation center, CMMI, should be saved but with appropriate patient safeguards and oversight as summarized in this Hill OpEd coauthored by COA executive director Ted Okon.

December 16: Medicare Part B Experiment on Seniors’ Cancer Care is Dead

Published On: December 16th, 2016Categories: Uncategorized

As reported in the Capitol Hill publication POLITICO last night, CMS has released a statement shelving the Medicare Part B Payment Model.  “After considering comments, CMS will not finalize the Medicare Part B Drug Payment Model during this Administration,” an agency spokesman told POLITICO. “The proposal was intended to test whether alternative drug payment structures would improve the quality of patient care and the value of Medicare drug spending,” the spokesman added. “While there was a great deal of support from some, a number of stakeholders expressed strong concerns about the model. While CMS was working to address these concerns, the complexity of the issues and the limited time available led to the decision not to finalize the rule at this time.”

COA fought hard to stop what was a proposed perverse experiment on seniors’ cancer care that included none of the informed consent and safeguards required in clinical research. Additionally, the CMS model would have actually raised drug prices even higher, not decreased them as CMS intended, as COA pointed out and backed with data in discussions with CMS/CMMI officials and testifying to Congress.

COA does believe that the CMS innovation center, CMMI, should be saved but with appropriate patient safeguards and oversight as summarized in this Hill OpEd coauthored by COA executive director Ted Okon.