Protecting Patient Access in Nevada: Understanding the Impact of AB 259
On May 29, the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) and the Value of Care Coalition hosted a webinar to educate people with disabilities, older adults and patients with serious chronic conditions about legislation currently under consideration in the Nevada legislature, AB 259.
AB 259 automatically sets Medicare’s maximum fair price as the upper payment limit (UPL) for drugs whose price has been negotiated at the federal level. By doing so, the legislation removes opportunities for public input on potential access issues, raising concerns that treatment options will be limited without guaranteed cost savings for beneficiaries.
The bill references certain Medicare drug prices, for which CMS has indicated a reliance on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and similar measures that discriminate against people with disabilities and older adults.
AB 259 automatically sets Medicare’s maximum fair price as the upper payment limit (UPL) for drugs whose price has been negotiated at the federal level. By doing so, the legislation removes opportunities for public input on potential access issues, raising concerns that treatment options will be limited without guaranteed cost savings for beneficiaries.
The bill references certain Medicare drug prices, for which CMS has indicated a reliance on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and similar measures that discriminate against people with disabilities and older adults.
