This morning's edition of Politico Pulse highlighted the Partnership to Improve Patient Care's (PIPC) leadership among patient groups in voicing concerns over Phase 2 of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) planned Part B demonstration project. PIPC, along with over 40 other groups, are sending a letter to CMS acting administrator Andy Slavitt highlighting issues with the proposed change to lower the add-on payment for drugs in phase 2 of the proposed demo.
The full entry is available below.
FIRST IN PULSE: PATIENT GROUPS FOCUS COMPLAINTS ON PHASE 2 OF PART B DEMO — More than 40 groups, led by the Partnership to Improve Patient Care, are sending a letter to CMS acting administrator Andy Slavitt today with fresh concerns over the agency's planned Part B demonstration project.
While most criticism of the Part B demo has centered on Medicare's proposed changes to lower its add-on payment for drugs, the patient groups say that phase 2 of the proposal — which would introduce new payment pilots that draw on comparative-effectiveness research — would hurt patients, too.
For instance, the groups take issue with CMS's plan to draw on recommendations from ICER — which the groups contend is led by a governing board that "consists mainly of payers, with no representation from patients or people with disabilities."
"While no doubt a well-intentioned effort to advance value-driven health care, the approach it takes would represent a major step back for patients and people with disabilities," the organizations write.
