1. Pink Sheet
  2. >>Market Access
  3. >>Government Payers
  4. >>Medicare

Trump’s CMS Inherits Medicare Price ‘Facilitator’ System Build Out; Should Pharma Be Worried?

 
• By Cathy Kelly

The potential for manufacturer liability may become a concern if problems providing rebates to pharmacies on negotiated drugs emerge because the system goes awry, a former CMS official suggested in an interview with the Pink Sheet.

The Medicare transaction facilitator is a 'huge, complicated' build. (Shutterstock)
Key Takeaways
  • The incoming Trump Administration could balk at the resources needed after taking over the complicated task of building the data hub to enable implementation of the Medicare negotiated prices, former senior CMS official Kristi Martin said in an interview with the Pink Sheet.
  • Manufacturers have a vested interest in the process' success because they could be held responsible if pharmacies do not receive the price reductions in an appropriate and timely manner.
  • Despite concerns that the new administration may try to sabotage the negotiation program, Martin is optimistic it is more likely “own” the process.  

The incoming Trump Administration will stand up a complicated new data system over the next year to implement Medicare negotiated prices, but the level of commitment to the task from...

Construction of the Medicare Transaction Facilitator “is a huge, operationally complicated build,” Kristi Martin, former CMS Center for Medicare chief of staff and senior adviser, told the Pink Sheet in...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Medicare

Will International Prices Influence Medicare Price Negotiation?

 
• By Cathy Kelly

A former CMS official suggested the most likely way it could happen is through a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation demonstration.

Industry Leaders Grapple With Trump’s Most Favored Nation Pricing Plan

 
• By Jessica Merrill

At the Bank of America health care conference, pharma leaders speculated on the impact of Trump’s most favored nation pricing executive order on US and European markets.

New Guidance Suggests SubQ Keytruda, Opdivo Formulations May Not Avoid Medicare Negotiations

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

New draft guidance on the third cycle of Medicare drug price negotiations goes against Merck and BMS expectations for their cancer drugs. The guidance also tackles Part B and renegotiated prices for the first time.

House Budget Bill Includes Delayed Orphan Fix, Also Risks Downstream Cell and Gene Coverage

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

The first two classes of negotiated drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act would not benefit from a rare disease adjustment House Republicans included in their reconciliation package.

More from Interviews

Aragen’s CEO Says NIH Funding Cut Means Less R&D Money, And Tariffs Would Add To Woes

 
• By Vibha Ravi

Aragen’s CEO Manni Kantipudi, who is keenly watching the Trump Administration’s moves on pharma tariffs, discusses funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health, big pharma’s US onshoring moves, and talks with the Indian government to solve intellectual property challenges in an audio interview.

Why Successful Companies Are ‘Tough On Themselves’ When It Comes To HTA

 
• By Eliza Slawther

Pharmaceutical companies need to “pressure test” their clinical development strategies early for health technology assessment purposes, particularly in light of the new EU HTA Regulation, a life sciences consultant says.

Kiji CEO On EU HTA Regulation, Hospital Exemption And The Future Of ATMPs

 
• By Eliza Slawther

Miguel Forte, CEO of Kiji Therapeutics, tells the Pink Sheet why he is confident in the future of gene therapies, despite the global “turmoil” that is impacting investment in the industry and changes to the EU and US regulatory landscapes.