https://mailchi.mp/89b749fe24b8/the-weekly-gist-february-17-2023?e=d1e747d2d8

This week, the Biden administration released a roadmap for implementing three new drug pricing pilots through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). These models seek to offer certain common generic drugs to Medicare beneficiaries for two dollars per month, test new ways for how Medicaid pays for expensive cell and gene therapies, and explore alternative reimbursement models for drugs that receive accelerated Food and Drug Administration approval. 

The Gist: On the heels of last week’s State of the Union Address, the announcement of these pilots exemplifies the kind of health policy efforts we expect across the remainder of President Biden’s current term: smaller, incremental initiatives to curb healthcare costs at the margins.

But given that all these initiatives have lengthy timelines, in part to allow for industry input, they will likely require the support of the next administration, Biden’s or otherwise, to reach full implementation.