In this letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, MACPAC comments on HHS’s request for information (RFI) on its Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs.
MACPAC supports efforts by HHS to ensure that appropriate rebates are paid to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program as these are consistent with our June 2018 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP recommendations. The Commission comments on several policy proposals and questions contained in the RFI, including state interest in adopting widely used commercial tools, issues related to Medicaid best price and average manufacturer price, issues related to value-based purchasing, and long-term financing issues. The Commission also notes that certain changes to the drug rebate program could potentially lower manufacturer rebates, which could increase state and federal Medicaid costs.
For more information on the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and MACPAC’s recommendations to improve it, read the June 2018 report to Congress chapter on Improving Operations of the Medicaid Prescription Drug Program.