CMS' proposed rules to improve drug price transparency in Medicaid is a "positive step" toward controlling costs, Kate McEvoy, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, told Becker's.
"It's an initial phase of what we hope the federal government will be helping with in terms of various strategies to control drug costs. The transparency piece around high-cost drugs is important," Ms. McEvoy said. "Continuing to support states and getting the highest level of rebates for those drugs is also very important."
In a proposed rule published May 23, CMS laid out plans to increase transparency by requiring manufacturers to disclose some pricing information through a price survey and requiring PBMs to disclose more pricing details to managed care plans.
In a fact sheet, CMS said the proposed changes could help promote value-based contracting agreements for drugs.
Ms. McEvoy said value-based options can help state Medicaid programs control costs.
"The bottom line is, Medicaid is required to cover all FDA-approved drugs," Ms. McEvoy said. "That can be challenging for programs in terms of using all those levers to control costs."