COA Announces Opposition to Administration Nixing Part D Rebate Rule

July 11, 2019

Community Oncology Alliance's (COA's) executive director Ted Okon has released a statement expressing disappointment over the Trump administration’s decision to abandon a proposed rule to eliminate rebates in Medicare Part D and Medicaid managed care.

Community Oncology Alliance's executive director Ted Okon has released a statement expressing disappointment over the Trump administration’s decision to abandon a proposed rule to eliminate rebates in Medicare Part D and Medicaid managed care. According to Okon, the proposed rule would have lowered drug prices for patients by ensuring they receive the benefit of negotiated drug discounts. By nixing the proposed rule, the administration has handed a gift to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

In the original plan’s announcement, President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar acknowledged that “nearly every drug company taking a January 2019 price increase announced that all of the increase was being paid to PBMs or insurers as rebates.”