WASHINGTON — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services laid out a bevy of initiatives Monday that officials said would reduce drug prices for patients covered by the Medicare Part D prescription drug program — but they have made no decisions yet on an issue that has confounded lawmakers and patients alike.
That issue is whether the discounts that pharmacy benefit managers negotiate for drugs — the “rebates” that lawmakers have been raising questions about in recent months — as well as other fees, should go toward lowering the price that a patient pays at the pharmacy.
“While we are not finalizing any policy in this area at this time, we appreciate the detailed submissions from stakeholders and we are evaluating these comments as we consider future proposals,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma in a call with reporters Monday. When asked, Verma declined to share a timeline for making a decision on those policies.
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