AHA Comments on MedPAC January Public Meeting Topics – Medicare Part B Drug Payments and Telehealth Services 2023

February 16, 2023

Michael Chernew, Ph.D.
Chairman
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
425 I Street, NW, Suite 701
Washington, DC 20001

Re: Comments on January 2023 Public Meeting Topics – Medicare Part B Drug Payments and Telehealth Services

Dear Dr. Chernew:

On behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations; our clinician partners — including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers — and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups, the American Hospital Association (AHA) appreciates the opportunity to share our comments on two topics that were discussed during the January 2023 public meeting: Medicare Part B drug payments and telehealth services.

We appreciate your thoughtful discussions on these two topics. As you continue to examine these issues, we urge you to

  • reject modifications to the current average sales price (ASP)-plus-6% methodology, and instead explore other initiatives such as extending inflation caps and rebates to generic Part B drugs; and
  • reconsider certain telehealth policy recommendations to ensure support for the expansion of access to care via telemedicine.

Our detailed comments on these issues follow.