Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday was set to mark up a slate of 44 bills, including some notable bipartisan health bills dealing with PBMs and Medicare coverage later that day (watch for an alert).
Why it matters: The bills add to the growing list of health legislation that could potentially hitch a ride on a government funding deal or be brought up as standalone measures on the House floor.
Zoom in: One health bill, the Protecting Patients Against PBM Abuses Act, would "delink" PBM compensation from the price of a drug as well as ban "spread pricing," in which a PBM charges a different amount to the plan sponsor than the amount it reimburses the pharmacy.
- Another bipartisan bill from Reps. John Joyce and Scott Peters would allow formularies to make midyear changes to cover newly available biosimilars.
- One piece of legislation that originated in House Ways and Means would also limit patients' cost-sharing to the net price for Medicare Part D drugs starting in 2027.
- The panel will also consider the MERIT Act, which would require CMS to review drugs individually, and not as a class, when making Medicare coverage decisions. The bill was drafted in response to the agency's decision last year to allow for limited coverage of the controversial Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm.
