This post originally appeared in the Washington Examiner on January 31, 2019. .

Outside groups prepare to fight Trump drug pricing proposal. Outside groups involved with fighting HIV, epilepsy, and serious mental illness are prepared to battle the Trump administration on a plan to change Medicare Part D, the portion of the program that covers prescription drugs. The administration has proposed making changes to what are known as the “six protected classes” of drugs, which allow certain patients with serious health conditions to receive any drug that their doctor determines is best to treat them. ​

This post originally appeared in Politico Pro on January 29, 2019. 

Industry and patient groups alike are pushing back on a CMS proposal to give Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans power to limit coverage of “protected class” medicines in a bid to lower government spending. The deadline to submit comment on CMS’s proposal, Modernizing Part D and Medicare Advantage to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Expenses, was Jan. 25 and hundreds rolled in. While the proposed rule lays out a number of strategies, the top item would give plans broader negotiating tools — including step therapy and prior authorization — for anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antineoplastics, antipsychotics, antiretrovirals and immunosuppressants.

This post initially appeared in The Buffalo News on January 22, 2019. 

The Trump administration is poised to undermine seniors’ access to lifesaving medications.It recently proposed a rule that would weaken patient protections within Medicare’s “Part D” prescription drug benefit. By law, Part D drug plans are required to cover all drugs in six “protected classes” of medicines. This requirement ensures that seniors and people with disabilities have widespread access to drugs used to treat cancer, depression, HIV and more.

This post initially appeared on the Care for Your Mind blog on January 15, 2019. 

One of Medicare’s key patient protections – the six protected classes – is under threat by a new proposal from the Trump Administration. Feedback from the public will be critical in deciding whether or not they move forward — that’s why it’s essential that you let your voice be heard.