WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), today held a hearing on a new proposed rule from CMS on its Part B Drug Payment Model, examining both the patient and doctor perspective. The new model is a mandatory experiment, which has the potential to severely hurt some of the sickest seniors who rely on physician-administered drugs through Medicare Part B. At the hearing, the subcommittee also examined legislation introduced by committee member Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) that would block this proposal from advancing.
“This proposal represents the biggest change in Medicare drug reimbursement in years," stated Chairman Pitts. “There are several aspects that are concerning to many, including: the mandatory nature of this so-called demonstration project; the breadth of the experiment - especially across the nation in virtually all primary care service areas; and the timing - these major changes would take place as early as July and on top of the current implementation of MACRA - the new payment structure for physicians that replaced SGR."
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) stressed to the witnesses that this is not a voluntary demonstration, but rather that seniors will be forced into this mandatory test. He cited that it’s more like a rule than a test, since “the test dwarfs the remaining control group."
“The potential for harm from the administration’s alarming proposal for seniors in Michigan and across the country is real," stated full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “Doctors, patient advocates, and patients are standing up and vocally declaring the threat this model could have on their care. We are talking about our moms and dads, grandparents, friends, neighbors, and our Greatest Generation - and the government wants to experiment with their care. Seniors deserve our respect. They deserve to be treated with nothing but dignity."
Recently, 242 Members of Congress wrote to the administration regarding their many concerns with the proposal and asking that the rule be withdrawn.
Additional information on today’s hearing, including a background memo, witness testimony, and an archived video can be found on our website here.
