The following is a press release issued by the ACR on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) issued its initial reaction to the recent announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding which ten drugs will be subject to pricing negotiations, including Enbrel and Stelara, medications frequently used to treat rheumatic diseases.
As part of the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare can now negotiate the price of select medicines directly with pharmaceutical companies.
“It’s clear that lower costs are needed to improve rheumatology patients’ access to necessary drug therapies and treatments. High drug costs create an enormous financial burden for too many Americans living with rheumatic disease,” said Douglas White, MD, PhD, president of the ACR. “However, even with anticipated lower costs from negotiations, there is concern that patient access will remain limited if Congress fails to exempt Medicare Part B reimbursements from the sequestration reductions included in the Budget Control Act of 2011. On behalf of rheumatology providers, we are optimistic that these negotiations will yield savings for our patients. However, we ask that policymakers address the root causes of drug pricing increases throughout the drug supply chain to truly help patients afford their medications.”