Health Policy Updates

TX HB 1647 now goes to the Governor’s Desk for signature. WOODLANDS, Texas, May 17, 2023 —The US Oncology Network today commends Texas lawmakers for passing HB 1647 to prohibit pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) or insurers from requiring patients with life-threatening conditions to receive their clinician-administered drugs from a PBM mail-order specialty pharmacy. Prior to…

CMS issued the Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule for Contract Year 2024.

The Negotiation program was created by the Inflation Reduction Act and authorizes CMS to negotiate Maximum Fair Prices for certain high expenditure, single source drugs and biological products.

On March 7, the White House released a fact sheet previewing proposals in the President’s forthcoming FY2024 budget aimed at extending the solvency of the Medicare program.

On Tuesday, February 15th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has selected three new models for testing by the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI).

The US Oncology Network applauded CMS for recognizing the barriers to timely access to care created by the increased use of prior authorization by Medicare Advantage plans and made several recommendations for further steps the agency could take to improve access for cancer patients.

During the week of January 23, The US Oncology Network Federal Government Relations team returned to the fully re-opened House office buildings on Capitol Hill to meet with members of the 118th Congress.

The law will fund the federal government through September 30, 2023 and mitigate scheduled Medicare payment cuts.

Among other policy proposals, the rule includes several proposed changes to utilization management programs in MA and greater flexibility to make changes to approved Part D formularies.

On November 11, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued final rules for the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS).