Comment on CMS-2026-2080-0001
Michelle HuangSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter supports the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, arguing that it will improve medication affordability and adherence for beneficiaries. They cite research indicating that high costs lead to nonadherence and increased healthcare expenditures, while lower costs can improve health outcomes and reduce overall costs.
I support the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program because it has the potential to improve medication affordability and adherence among Medicare beneficiaries. Dusetzina et al. (2023) found that in 2022, approximately 20% of older adults were nonadherent to pharmacological therapy due to medication cost. High prescription drug costs can prevent patients from obtaining the necessary treatments, leading to poorer health outcomes and increased rates of unnecessary hospitalizations and healthcare expenditures.
Hence, I encourage CMS to continue prioritizing access to affordable prescriptions for patients with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even heart failure while ensuring transparency of the negotiation process. In a retrospective study conducted by Axon et al. (2020), researchers concluded that adherent beneficiaries had lower utilization of outpatient or inpatient visits, lowering the overall costs by $157.32 per member per month despite high medication costs. By lowering drug costs, Medicare beneficiaries may experience a reduced financial burden, enhanced medication adherence, improved disease management, and ameliorated health conditions.
References:
Axon, D. R., Vaffis, S., Chinthammit, C., Lott, B. E., Taylor, A. M., Pickering, M., Black, H., Warholak, T., & Campbell, P. J. (2020). Assessing the association between medication adherence, as defined in quality measures, and disease-state control, health care utilization, and costs in a retrospective database analysis of Medicare supplemental beneficiaries using statin medications. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 26(12), 1529–1537. https://doi.org/10.18553/jmcp.2020.26.12.1529
Dusetzina, S. B., Besaw, R. J., Whitmore, C. C., Mattingly II, T. J., Sinaiko, A. D., Keating, N. L., & Everson, J. (2023). Cost-related medication nonadherence and desire for medication cost information among adults aged 65 years and older in the US in 2022. JAMA Network Open, 6(5), e2314211. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.14211