The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), along with nearly 60 other organizations, joined the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in an advertising campaign urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Congress to halt proposed changes to Medicare Part D’s six protected classes.
In general, Medicare Part D plans are required to cover at least two drugs in each therapeutic class that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, Part D plans must cover essentially all FDA-approved drugs under a protected class such as cancer, organ transplants, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, and mental illness.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this policy was implemented because “it was necessary to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries reliant upon these drugs would not be substantially discouraged from enrolling in certain Part D plans, as well as to mitigate the risks and complications associated with an interruption of therapy for these vulnerable populations.”1
ASCO joined ACS CAN’s campaign due to concerns that the proposed changes to Part D would remove important protections for patients with serious illnesses including cancer. ASCO is particularly concerned about provisions in the proposal that would allow the use of step therapy and other potentially restrictive utilization management strategies. Such policies may unnecessarily impede patient access to needed cancer care and lead to irreversible disease progression and other significant health risks.
ASCO will continue its work with the Administration, Congress, and other advocacy groups on solutions to address the high cost of prescription drugs that will not compromise access to high-quality care for Americans with cancer.
See the advertisement.
Learn more about ASCO’s advocacy efforts and stay up to date on the latest in cancer policy and practice news on ASCO in Action.
