HHS | NACDS

Medicaid Patients’ Pharmacy Access Defended by NACDS In comments to CMS, NACDS says weakening of state access standards is flawed policymaking, and threatens to harm patient health and increase Medicaid costs

admin2019-09-17T15:10:02-04:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: CMS, HHS, Medicaid, Reimbursement|

In comments to CMS, NACDS says weakening of state access standards is flawed policymaking, and threatens to harm patient health and increase Medicaid costs

As HHS’ Azar Testifies, NACDS Urges His DIR Reform Proposals NACDS’ Congressional statement keys on lowering patients’ costs at pharmacy counter, reducing overall healthcare costs, and fostering pharmacy viability by preventing below-cost reimbursement

admin2019-03-14T10:14:53-04:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: CMS, Congress, DIR, HHS, Medicare, Reimbursement|

NACDS’ Congressional statement keys on lowering patients’ costs at pharmacy counter, reducing overall healthcare costs, and fostering pharmacy viability by preventing below-cost reimbursement.

NACDS Urges DIR Fee Reform in Morning Consult Op-Ed NACDS President & CEO Steven C. Anderson emphasizes DIR fee reform’s role in lowering patients’ out of pocket costs, reducing overall healthcare costs

admin2019-03-08T11:26:38-05:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: CMS, DIR, HHS, Medicare, Public_Relations, Reimbursement|

Morning Consult today published an opinion piece by the NACDS entitled “DIR Fee Reform: Lining Up Another Win for Patients on Drug Costs.”

NACDS Urges DIR Fee Reform in Statement to House Ways and Means Committee Details opportunities to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs and to lower overall healthcare spending through DIR fee reform; Describes public’s trust of pharmacies’ cost-saving proposals

admin2019-02-12T15:32:12-05:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: CMS, DIR, HHS, Medicare, Reimbursement|

NACDS today submitted a statement to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means for the hearing titled “The Cost of Rising Prescription Drug Prices.”

NACDS, NCPA Thank Patient, Consumer Groups for Taking Important Stance on DIR Fee Reform Groups emphasize DIR fee reform’s power to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs and to reduce overall healthcare costs as a result of medication adherence and better health

admin2019-02-12T12:27:52-05:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: CMS, DIR, HHS, Medicare, Reimbursement|

NACDS and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today lauded 24 patient and consumer groups for advocating for pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fee reform.

NACDS, NCPA Praise Senate Action to Reduce Patient Drug Costs Bipartisan Senate letter to HHS Secretary urges swift action on pharmacy DIR fee reform to lower out-of-pocket drug costs for patients and to stop unworkable practices that are unfair to pharmacies

admin2019-02-05T10:19:20-05:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: CMS, Congress, DIR, HHS, Reimbursement|

NACDS and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today praised a bipartisan Senate letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

Patient Advocacy Groups, Other Stakeholders Urge DIR Reform

admin2019-01-28T15:33:26-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: CMS, DIR, HHS, Reimbursement|

Patient advocacy groups and allies—including NACDS member companies, state associations and others—have joined together in urging HHS to implement DIR reform.

NACDS Provides Input on HHS’ Healthy People 2030 Initiative Highlights pharmacists’ increasing role as trusted, accessible and effective healthcare providers

admin2019-01-28T15:05:30-05:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: HHS, Pharmacy_Value|

NACDS has submitted comments containing recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Healthy People 2030 initiative, which develops a new set of evidence-based, 10-year national objectives aimed at improving the health of all Americans.

NACDS, NCPA, NASP Call for Swift Action on DIR Reform

admin2019-01-28T11:10:07-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: DIR, HHS, Reimbursement|

NACDS, The National Community Pharmacists Association and the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy joined forces in a letter to HHS on DIR reform.

NACDS Demonstrates Need for DIR Fee Reform in Comments to CMS Supports agency proposal to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs, reduce overall healthcare costs, improve patient health, and address drastically unfair reimbursement to pharmacies

admin2019-01-25T11:08:17-05:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: CMS, DIR, HHS, Medicare, Reimbursement|

Based on insights from member pharmacies that serve as the front lines of healthcare delivery, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) has submitted extensive and thoroughly documented comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in support of the agency’s proposal to reform direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees – reform that relates directly to reducing patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs.

KEY FACTS

NACDS’ comments respond to a CMS proposed rule released in November 2018.

DIR fees are being misused by payers to claw back reimbursement paid to pharmacies for prescriptions filled for Medicare beneficiaries.

Payers penalize pharmacies for alleged failure to reach benchmarks – many of which are vague, undefined, inconsistent, unachievable or outside of the control of pharmacies.

Interpretations of specific terms used in Medicare have led to these claw-backs, to higher out-of-pocket drug costs for patients, and to increased healthcare costs overall.

NACDS describes: the harm of current DIR practices; support for DIR fee reform and for a properly-aligned pharmacy quality incentive program; ways that reform would reduce patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs and overall healthcare costs; and CMS’ authority to act.

“The proposed changes are consistent with several of the Administration’s priorities, including the goal to reduce prescription drug costs for patients; improve the Medicare program; and use ‘[Department of Health and Human Services] programs to build a value-driven healthcare system. We therefore strongly urge CMS to use its current authority to further update the Part D Program by implementing these much-needed reforms in the final rule…NACDS members’ experiences confirm that the abuses and harms of pharmacy DIR fees are genuine. And the situation is rapidly growing worse, as abusive pharmacy DIR fees continue to grow exponentially. Pharmacies are calling on CMS to eliminate these and other harms now, by implementing reforms to eliminate pharmacy DIR fees.”

– NACDS’ comments to CMS READ FULL PRESS RELEASE READ COMMENTS

National Association of Chain Drug StoresPharmacies. The face of neighborhood healthcare.