The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday proposed to require drug makers to list the price of pharmaceuticals in direct-to-consumer (DTC) television ads — even as the industry tried to head off regulation by issuing a promise earlier in the day to give consumers more information about pricing.

The Trump administration was not secretive about its intentions, having first mentioned listing prices in DTC ads in May in the government's American Patients First plan to lower drug costs. In August, it began officially reviewing a proposed rule.

Members of Congress have also pressed for action. Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) won initial backing for their bid to require DTC ads to list prices, but the House stripped that out of 2019 funding for the US Health and Human Services (HHS) department.

Seeing what was coming, the 33 members of the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) said on October 15 that beginning in April 2019 they would direct viewers of DTC ads to a website that would discuss list price, out-of-pocket costs, and patient assistance programs.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar was not impressed. "We will not wait for an industry with so many conflicting and perverse incentives to reform itself," he said in an October 15 speech at the National Academy of Medicine. Patients "deserve to know if the drug company has pushed their prices to abusive levels," he said, adding, "and they deserve to know this every time they see a drug advertised to them on TV."

The proposal requires companies to include a drug's list price — in legible text — if it is covered by Medicare or Medicaid, and if it costs more than $35 a month. The agency is seeking input on whether list price should be given by audio and not just by text. The rule only covers TV ads, which account for the majority of the $5.5 billion spent each year on DTC advertising, according to federal officials. CMS is entertaining comments on whether the requirement should be extended to other advertising.

The proposed rule would not directly lower drug costs. It is hoped that it will shame companies into bringing prices down — in part, by publishing the names of those who don't comply.

Azar said that knowing a list price is important to seniors on Medicare Part D because they have to pay a percentage of list price for specialty and nonpreferred drugs. List prices are also important for those on high-deductible plans who may have to pay a large percentage of that price before insurance coverage starts.

The government has the legal right to demand disclosure of a list price, said Azar, noting that since 1958, car manufacturers have been required to post sticker prices. "There is no reason it should be any different for drugs," he said, noting that the pharmaceutical industry has resisted this precedent.

LINK: https://www.medscape.com/viewa...&impID=1774569&faf=1

About time to shine the light on the nefarious industry of drugs, hospitals, doctors and insurance companies.

'Bout time!

I can see the marketing whizzes at work. How about a text in lower right of screen that is visible for a milisecond opposite something eye catching smack dab in the middle of the screen. Another option would be an audio in a foreign language. I would once like to view a commercial that featured the horrific side effects mentioned in the audio no one listens to.

Why not just make the info accessible on their website? Too easy?

This info is available online btw. Always has been.

quote:

Why not just make the info accessible on their website? Too easy?

This info is available online btw. Always has been.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Well what about the poor souls who do not have internet access?? Come on, you know the answer. Yeah, and the research costs must be subsidized in some fashion. Look, we are not asking that the Pharma reps have their salaries posted online.LOL

While on a road trip yesterday scanning the FM dial, it landed on NPR and they had a drug company association rep MD, a patient advocate (who has cancer and extremely costly meds), as well as the H.W. Bush former head of Medicare/Medicaid on discussing the issue.

Interestingly, they all agreed that posting the retail price of the drugs in the ads (what the proposal says), isn't likely to have any affect at all on lowering the prices.

The problem is how complicated the system is with different negotiated rates for all the different health insurance companies (some a percentage co-pay, others just a discount), and Medicaid/Medicare paying a different rate still. So in most cases the retail price says nothing about what comes out of a consumer's pocket.

I think it is a good first step, it will make consumers more aware of prices and have them start asking, seeking more info. If the drug companies think this will hurt them, it may cause them to have more transparency making it easier for consumers to get info on the real cost to them based on what health plan they have.

I always look at goodrx when they start pimping a new drug. Scary ass prices.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

Why not just make the info accessible on their website? Too easy?

This info is available online btw. Always has been.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Well what about the poor souls who do not have internet access?? Come on, you know the answer. Yeah, and the research costs must be subsidized in some fashion. Look, we are not asking that the Pharma reps have their salaries posted online.LOL

I know the answer to what? Not sure what drug rep salaries have to do with anything, but ok.

Drug price info is already out there. If we’re gonna be silly, what about the poor souls who don’t have tv?

ZSMICHEAL...FYI, if you want to see what drug reps make, you can find that too. Check out Indeed.com, you can find average salaries for all reps...not sure what to do if you don’t have Internet though...go to your local library?

What's controversial about posting prices for an advertised product?

Absolutely nothing. I’ll be the first to admit that shit’s crazy expensive in this country.

I’m just saying the info is available already.

It doesnt change anything. If the doc thinks you need something, and your insurance covers it, you’ll be prescribed it.