Health Policy Report – Sept. 6, 2023
Biden Administration Announces List of Ten Drugs Subject to Medicare Negotiation On August 29, the Biden administration announced the highly anticipated list of the first 10 Medicare Part D drugs that will be subject to price negotiations with Medicare. The medications – which treat diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and other conditions – are taken by millions…
Health Policy Report – Aug. 22, 2023
In New Op-Ed, Dr. Debra Patt Calls on Lawmakers to Enact PBM Reform Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, of Texas Oncology, recently penned an op-ed in MedPage Today urging federal policymakers to rein in Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). Dr. Patt, who also serves as Chair of The Network’s Public Policy and Reimbursement Committee, noted that…
Health Policy Report – Aug. 8, 2023
Texas Oncology Hosts Congressman Keith Self (R-TX) On Monday, July 24 Texas Oncology hosted Representative Keith Self (R-TX) at its McKinney practice outside Dallas, Texas. Dr. Anand Shivnani and director of practice operations Melissa Rich led Congressman Self on a tour of the practice showcasing the suite of services it offers. Congressman Self is a…
Health Policy Report – July 25, 2023
Southern Cancer Center Hosts Congressman Jerry Carl On Thursday, July 6, Southern Cancer Center (SCC) hosted Congressman Jerry Carl (AL-01) for a site visit at their Daphne location. Dr. Brian Heller, Executive Director Lauren Pettis led a tour of the clinic and spoke to Representative Carl about the cancer services being offered in the…
Health Policy Report – July 11, 2023
Reps. Arrington, Lesko, Burgess Reintroduce the Medicare Patient Access to Cancer Treatment Act On July 6, Representatives Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Debbie Lesko (AZ-8), and Michael Burgess (TX-26) introduced legislation to ensure to create payment parity for outpatient cancer care services in Medicare. This is a critical step toward reducing consolidation and maintaining access to high-quality,…
Health Policy Report – June 27, 2023
MedPAC Releases June 15 Report to Congress On June 15, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its annual report to Congress, which included recommendations on site neutral pay for 66 outpatient procedures. The committee cited “recent growth in hospital acquisition of physician practices” as a reason for the recommendation. According to the report, the…
Health Policy Report – June 13, 2023
Merck Brings Lawsuit to Halt Medicare Drug Negotiation Global drugmaker Merck is suing the Biden administration over Medicare’s new powers to negotiate drug prices. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington on June 6, marks the drug industry’s most significant pushback against the Medicare drug negotiation program, passed last summer as a provision of…
Health Policy Report – May 31, 2023
Texas Oncology Hosts Rep. Beth Van Duyne Earlier this month, Texas Oncology hosted Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) for a site visit at its Bedford practice. As a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Congresswoman Van Duyne helps shape policy related to Medicare payments. During the site visit, Congresswoman Van Duyne met…
Health Policy Report – May 16, 2023
Congressional Scrutiny over Drug Pricing and the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Continues Committees in both the Senate and the House are continuing to hold hearings and consider legislation to address high drug costs. On May 11, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee convened to hold a highly anticipated continuation of a markup on…
Health Policy Report – May 02, 2023
Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing Focused on Site Neutral Payments, PBMs On April 26, the Energy and Commerce (E&C) health subcommittee held a hearing on health care cost legislation, entitled “Lowering Unaffordable Costs: Legislative Solutions to Increase Transparency and Competition in Health Care”. The hearing was a follow-up to their March hearing. This…