Policy

Trump Signs Executive Order on Medicare, but No Movement on International Price Index Yet

October 4th 2019

By The Center for Biosimilars Staff

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on improving Medicare.

The Top 5 Biosimilars Articles for the Week of September 30

October 4th 2019

The Center for Biosimilars® recaps the top stories for the week of September 30, 2019.

AARP, HHS File Briefs in DTC Case Over Drug Prices

October 2nd 2019

By Allison Inserro

The case over whether drugmakers can be compelled to disclose pharmaceutical prices in direct-to-consumer (DTC) television advertisements continues in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, with HHS appealing and AARP and the AARP Foundation filing an amicus brief this week in Merck & Co. Inc. et al v US Department of Health and Human Services et al.

Bipartisan ACCESS Act Would Eliminate Patient Co-payment for Biosimilars in Part B

October 2nd 2019

By Kelly Davio

A newly introduced item of legislation proposes to eliminate co-payments for patients when they receive a biosimilar rather than an originator biologic in Medicare Part B.

COA Issues Policy Statement on Step Therapy in Cancer Care

October 1st 2019

By Allison Inserro

Step therapy, which requires that patients try the payer’s preferred treatment before the one a physician recommends, jeopardizes the health of patients with cancer by delaying treatment and creating unnecessary barriers, according to a recent position statement from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA).

State-Level Drug Price Transparency Laws Miss the Mark, Say Researchers

October 1st 2019

By Kelly Davio

While policy makers have hailed drug price transparency laws as steps toward bringing down the high cost of drugs for US patients, questions remain as to how effective these laws are at achieving their aims. Now, in a research letter published in JAMA Network Open, researchers say that these laws are largely ineffective at revealing true transaction prices for drugs.

Biosimilar Policy Roundup: September 2019

September 30th 2019

By The Center for Biosimilars Staff

With the US Congress back from its summer recess, September marked a busy time on Capitol Hill for policy proposals that touch on drug pricing, biosimilars, and patient access to high-cost therapies.

Bipartisan Bill Seeking to Curb Step Therapy Introduced in Senate

September 27th 2019

By Allison Inserro

The bill would amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act to require group health plans to provide an exception process for step therapy so that patients can access treatment without delays.

House Report Outlines Depth of High Prices Americans Pay for Prescription Drugs

September 26th 2019

By Allison Inserro

A report out this week from the House Ways and Means Committee details the extent to which Americans pay more for drugs than other countries—nearly 4 times as much, in fact.

2 More Bills Aiming to Boost Biosimilars Introduced in Congress

September 23rd 2019

By The Center for Biosimilars Staff

Two biosimilar bills, both with bipartisan sponsors, were unveiled last week and aim to boost uptake in the United States, one through increased Medicare payment and the other via additional education.