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ACR Supports CMS Removal of Part B Proposal
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The American College of Rheumatology recently released a statement in support of a move by the CMS to remove its part B payment proposal, which would have removed patient access to certain biologic therapies, according to a press release.
“We thank CMS for listening to the rheumatology community’s concerns about the negative and disproportionate impact this proposal would have on our Medicare patients living with rheumatic diseases by not moving forward with this Part B Demonstration Project,” Sharad Lakhanpal, MBBS, MD, president of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), said in the release. “For older Americans living with painful and debilitating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis, safe access to biologic therapies is not an option but a necessity — which is why the ACR has been vocal in expressing our concerns about the unintended consequences of this proposal and its flawed cost-savings premise.”
In a statement to the CMS earlier this year, the ACR criticized the Part B proposal and noted the lack of inexpensive, clinically equivalent biologics available for Medicare patients with rheumatic diseases, as well as the dangers of switching to a different biologic for the individual patient. In addition, many rheumatologists in smaller, more rural practices — which lack the ability to obtain bulk discounts from pharmaceutical companies — have already been forced to stop administering biologics to Medicare patients due to the current Part B payment structure.
“This positive outcome will help ensure Medicare beneficiaries living with rheumatic diseases are able to continue receiving the therapies they need to manage their chronic conditions and avoid pain and disability,” Lakhanpal said.
Reference: http://www.rheumatology.org/About-Us/Newsroom/Press-Releases/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/791
Perspective
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Michael C. Schweitz, MD
The Medicare Part B Demonstration Project, introduced by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid innovation (CMMI), was an ill-conceived program that addressed a necessary goal – to lower drug costs and improve access to available therapies for our patients. However, the medical community quickly identified the deficiencies of the program and the counter-effective consequences.
A strong advocacy effort was developed and was successful in ultimately influencing the repeal of the program. We hope a more rational approach is generated to achieve lower costs for these important therapies and physician and patient input are considered at the outset.
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