The measure would prohibit PBMs from engaging in “spread pricing” — when they charge a health plan more for a drug than they reimburse to pharmacies and keep the difference — in state Medicaid plans. PBMs contract with health plans to negotiate discounts and formulary placement with drugmakers, and negotiate drug distribution and reimbursement with […]

Here Is What We Know: What We Expect: The most realistic scenario is for Congress to pass a continuing resolution, stop-gap measure, that extends 2023 spending levels for a designated period. No decision has been made on the time frame of the CR; however, the three-week option discussed at Wednesday’s conference meeting may be the […]

The House plans to take up a tri-committee package of pharmacy benefit manager reforms, provider price transparency, hospital drug administration site-neutral pay and extenders next week under suspension of the rules, according to the Congressional Budget Office, but that office does not yet have an estimate on the cost of the package. Under the suspension […]

The rate of growth in U.S. health care spending more than doubled in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the medical system accounting for just less than a fifth of the U.S. economy at the end of 2020, according to a federal report released Wednesday. Spending on health care rose 9.7 percent last […]

House leaders spent last night negotiating the final details of the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act.  The House plans to vote on the legislation today following two hours of debate.  WSC will provide a summary of provisions that are of specific importance to our clients shortly.  In the meantime, we have included a full […]

WSC has selected, and provided links, to particular WSC policy briefs and news articles from the past week that our clients may have missed.   Pandemic Preparedness Bill to Boost U.S.-Made Stockpile AdvancesBloomberg | July 20, 2021 Biden admin to stiffen penalty on hospitals for hiding pricesPolitico Pro | July 19, 2021 CY 2022 Medicare Hospital […]

WSC has selected, and provided links, to particular WSC policy briefs and news articles from the past week that our clients may have missed.   Biden’s Two-Track Economic Agenda Hits Turbulence in SenateBloomberg | July 13, 2021 Coalition says health workers should be required to get coronavirus vaccineWashington Post | July 13, 2021 Congress starts summer […]