Opinion: Trump’s ‘most favored nations’ experiment undermines care for millions covered by Medicare
President Trump and other administration officials have talked a big game about their new most favored nation model for lowering prices for Medicare Part B drugs, including cancer therapies and other potentially lifesaving treatments administered by physicians. But they failed to disclose the fine print: By their own estimates, nearly 10% of people covered by Medicare would lose access to treatment in the first year, and almost 20% by the end of the second year.
Here’s how this scheme would work: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center would implement a mandatory nationwide “test” that would base on international drug prices how much hospitals, medical practices, and clinicians are reimbursed for using the top 50 Medicare Part B drugs.
