CMS Finalizes Changes to MA, Prescription Drug Programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late this afternoon released a final rule that makes programmatic and operational changes to the Medicare Advantage and prescription drug benefit programs for contract year 2019. Specifically, the rule revises program regulations to implement certain provisions of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act that direct Part D plan sponsors to establish a drug management program for beneficiaries at risk for prescription drug abuse or misuse. The final rule also updates regulations related to disclosure notices to allow for increased use of electronic posting of certain plan documents and finalizes a provision that directs plans to rely on a prescriber “preclusion list” rather than require that all prescribers be enrolled in Medicare, among other changes related to plan design and cost sharing.