House Bills to Study Drug Vial Waste, MA Payment Adjustment Advance

The House Ways and Means Committee today approved legislation (H.R. 6142) that would require the Health and Human Services secretary to develop with stakeholders a plan to reduce waste related to single-use drug vials, and report to Congress on options for any needed legislative action to reduce drug waste and better manage costs. AHA has urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to incentivize drug makers to align package sizes with the most common dosage amounts. The committee also approved legislation (H.R. 4952) that would direct the HHS Secretary to study and report to Congress on whether including quality percentage increases in the blended benchmark amounts subject to the benchmark cap for Medicare Part C plans undermines quality goals. AHA has expressed ongoing concerns about CMS including quality bonus payments in the calculation of Medicare Advantage benchmark caps. Among other bills approved today, H.R. 4952 would require HHS to include at least one ambulatory surgical center representative on the expert advisory panel that reviews hospital outpatient payment rates under Medicare Part B and require CMS to specify its reasons for excluding services at ASCs.