Dr. Mike Schweitz, a Florida-based rheumatologist, testified at the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee′s hearing on CMS′ proposed Part B Drug reimbursement model. He offered his testimony on behalf of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations (CSRO) and the Alliance of Specialty Medicine.
“We are keenly aware of the unsustainable rise in drug costs and the effects of those costs on our patients’ ability to adhere to their treatment regimens. While we appreciate CMS’s attention to the topic of drug costs, we feel that this proposal is misguided. As CMS acknowledges in the rule, the proposed approach “does not directly address the manufacturer’s ASP, which is a more significant driver of drug expenditures than the add-on payment amount for Part B drugs.” Given that a slash to the ASP add-on is unlikely to actually lower costs for patients (and, as explained below, may increase it in some cases) and may jeopardize access, we have requested that CMS withdraw the model and we urge the Committee to do the same.”
