Medicare Program; International Pricing Index Model for Medicare Part B Drugs

We are issuing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit public comments on potential options we may consider for testing changes to payment for certain separately payable Part B drugs and biologicals (hereafter called ``drugs''). Specifically, CMS intends to test whether phasing down the Medicare payment amount for selected Part B drugs to more closely align with international prices; allowing private-sector vendors to negotiate prices for drugs, take title to drugs, and compete for physician and hospital business; and changing the 4.3 percent (post-sequester) drug add-on payment in the model to reflect 6 percent of historical drug costs translated into a set payment amount, would lead to higher quality of care for beneficiaries and reduced expenditures to the Medicare program.