Contact:Sharon GraceVice President, Public Relations 703.838.0033 ext. 393[email protected]
May 10, 2016
AMGA Comments on CMS Part B Drug Payment Model
Newswise — Alexandria, VA – AMGA yesterday submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning the agency’s Medicare Part B prescription drug demonstration. In its comments, AMGA recommends that CMS work to improve the demonstration year-over-year by testing additional variations of the average sales price add-on payment as part of its proposed modifications; give beneficiaries access to the same clinical decision support information, up-to-date drug safety information and practice guidelines available to physicians and other health professionals; and provide greater detail on how, or if, participants will be held accountable for quality measures and how specifically the evaluator will design and measure quality performance.
“Using value-based purchasing tools to reduce overall drug spending and improve clinical effectiveness is a worthy goal, and efforts to that end can only serve to also improve Medicare beneficiary health,” said Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, AMGA’s president and chief executive officer. “However, the concerns expressed in our comment letter also must be addressed in order to ensure that the demonstration is as successful as possible for Medicare beneficiaries and providers alike.”
In addition to its recommendations, AMGA noted the desire of the association and its members to work toward improving the quality and effectiveness of drug prescribing while lessening the burden on Medicare beneficiaries.
AMGA’s comments are available on the AMGA website.
About AMGAThe AMGA is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing medical groups, health systems, and other organized systems of care, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious integrated delivery systems. AMGA is a leading voice in advocating for efficient, team-based, and accountable care. AMGA members encompass all models of organized systems of care in the healthcare industry, including: physician-owned, independent group practices, integrated delivery systems, hospital-affiliated medical groups, independent practice associations (IPAs), academic and faculty practices, accountable care organizations, and high-performing health systems. Approximately 177,000 physicians practice in AMGA member organizations, providing healthcare services for 133 million patients (approximately one in three Americans). Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for these organizations, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs, publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance. www.amga.org
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