Week in Washington is brought to you by Michael Cohen, PhD. Tune in each week to read the latest on healthcare policy and get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon.
Week in Washington
08/24/2023
Part D Payment Plan
CMS released proposed guidance this week on the implementation of maximum monthly cap on cost-sharing. Starting in 2025, there are requirements for Part D (and MAPD) plans to spread cost-sharing out over the course of the year to reduce costs as part of requirements in the Inflation Reduction Act. This proposed change may pose operational burdens and may increase costs to plans via bad debt or increase utilization. You can also read the fact sheet here.
Drug Negotiation List Announcement
Politico announced that the Biden Administration is expected to disclose the names of the first 10 prescription drugs selected for Medicare Price negotiation early next week. CMS must announce the names of the drugs no later than September 1. It is expected the list will be released while the stock market is closed (either early morning or late afternoon) as the announcement could impact stock prices. The next step in the drug negotiation process would be for manufacturers of selected drugs to sign an agreement entering into negotiations, which would need to be completed by October 1, 2023.
Medicaid Unwinding
Medicaid disenrollment reached 5.3 million as of August 23, 2023. The average percent of individuals who completed renewal and are disenrolling, has generally been steady at around 40% (currently at 37% according to KFF). CBO projected about 15.5 million Medicaid beneficiaries would ultimately be disenrolled.
Weight Loss Treatment Questions
An open question is if new medications for weight loss will supplant current weight loss treatment options like bariatric surgery or supplements them. Politico reported that many physicians feel that the answer may be that increased usage of weight loss medications would not result in fewer bariatric surgeries.
Previous editions:
08/17/2023: Week in Washington
08/10/2023: Week in Washington
07/27/2023: Week in Washington
07/20/2023: Week in Washington
07/13/2023: Week in Washington
06/29/2023: Week in Washington
06/22/2023: Week in Washington
06/15/2023: Week in Washington