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CMS Building Rx Price Negotiating Staff Internally; Contracting With Outside Groups ‘Not On Radar’

 
• By Cathy Kelly

CMS head Brooks-LaSure says agency is making progress in staffing the drug pricing control programs established by the Inflation Reduction Act. Medicare Center deputy director Cheri Rice will be its acting director under just-unveiled management structure.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is charged with implementing the redesign of Part D along with the new price negotiation program. • Source: Milken Institute

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is focused on building an internal group to implement and operate the Medicare drug price negotiation and price inflation rebate programs established by the Inflation Reduction Act, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said during the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit on 8 December.

But contracting some roles to outside groups such as the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review health technology assessment organization is “not on my radar as something we’re going to do,” Brooks-LaSure said. The agency is “certainly happy to engage with outside stakeholders and get expertise from them

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