The Health Care Reform Corner – From the editors of "The Pink Sheet" 9/29/2009
What are policymakers and stakeholders in Washington saying and doing about health care reform? In this periodic BioPharma Today feature, the editors of "The Pink Sheet"and "The Pink Sheet" DAILYhighlight some of the major developments chronicled in those publications.
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The Health Care Reform Corner – From the editors of "The Pink Sheet" 9/29/2009
WASINGTON, D.C. – An amendment to health care reform legislation that would mandate drug rebates in Medicare Part D was defeated during the Senate Finance Committee’s markup on Sept. 24, with committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. and Thomas Carper, D-Del. joining the Republicans on the panel in opposing it.
The amendment would require drug firms to provide Medicaid-level rebates for drugs provided to Part D beneficiaries also eligible for Medicaid. It would use the revenue generated to phase out the coverage gap in Medicare Part D. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who sponsored the amendment, said he intends to reintroduce it when the reform bill reaches the Senate floor. Read the story here….
The amendment, offered by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., says the goal is "to ensure that patients and the Medicare program utilize biosimilars appropriately" and "create parity between brand name biologics and biosimilars and save patients and Medicare money." Read the story here….
President Obama will sign a health reform bill with a "good, strong, robust public option," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., predicted Sept. 24 during a media teleconference.
Schumer and Senate Finance Committee colleague Jay Rockefeller, D-W.VA, held the call just after the third day of the committee's markup of its health reform proposal.
"Even though the public plan may be an underdog in the Finance Committee, don't count it out," Schumer said. "I think it's a safe bet that a significant majority, maybe a very large majority of Democrats, are for the public option and more so in the full Senate caucus than in the Finance Committee." Read the story here….
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