Prescription Drug Cost

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are hosting an upcoming series of patient-focused Listening Sessions this fall as part of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. These virtual public Listening Sessions will provide opportunities for patients, beneficiaries, caregivers, consumer and patient organizations, and other interested parties to share input relevant to drugs selected for the first round of negotiations. CMS will host 10 Listening Sessions this fall, one for each of the 10 selected drugs: (Click attached links to find times for all 10 listening sessions).

This issue brief reviews the structure of the prescription drug benefit in Medicaid and the traditional policy levers states have used to control drug spending. It also describes state strategies to contain costs, such as efforts to obtain greater rebates, actions concerning generic drugs and biosimilar alternatives, transparency laws and new efforts to draw on federal resources.