HHS moves ahead on negotiating lower drug prices

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday announced actions to lower health care costs and implement President Biden’s lower cost prescription drug law – the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – which is already saving covered seniors and people with disabilities hundreds of dollars annually.

The HHS released revised drug price negotiation guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), moving full steam ahead implementing a law that is now the target of multiple industry lawsuits.

The guidance is a critical step in implementing the IRA, which finally took on Big Pharma and will allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of people with Medicare.