Tag Archives: MDRP

Oregon’s New Waiver Request to Exclude Accelerated Approval Drugs from Medicaid Coverage

Hello readers! Today’s post focuses on a topic we’ve touched on a few times in the past – Medicaid drug formularies.

Back in December 2021, the state of Oregon released a draft Medicaid waiver proposal that caught the attention of many stakeholders. In the draft proposal, Oregon stated that it was considering asking CMS for approval to a) adopt a commercial-style closed drug formulary and b) exclude from Medicaid coverage certain drugs approved via the accelerated approval pathway “with limited or inadequate evidence of clinical efficacy.” Oregon proposed to “use its own rigorous review process to determine coverage of new drugs and to prioritize patient access to clinically proven,… More

CMS Reneges on Historic “Grand Bargain” with Manufacturers in Tennessee Wavier Approval

If you have not already read it, you can read our main summary of the Tennessee waiver approval HERE.

Now that we have had the chance to read and meditate on the historic Medicaid waiver approved on Friday January 8th, giving Tennessee permission from the Federal government to fundamentally alter Medicaid’s traditional “matching” financing structure for the 1.5 million Tennesseans who rely on the program for healthcare services,… More

CMS Finalizes Changes to Medicaid Prescription Drug Rebate Program

Earlier this year, my colleague Ross Margulies and I told you about a new proposed rule issued by CMS that makes several changes to the Medicaid prescription drug rebate program, or the MDRP.  Recently, CMS finalized the rule and we thought we’d take this opportunity to tell you about it.  On balance, we think that the rule succeeds in CMS’s stated goals of increasing access to innovative health care therapies to Medicaid beneficiaries as well as clarifying some longstanding questions about the operation of the MDRP.… More