HHS Releases New List of Inflation-Capped Medicare Part B Drugs

On March 26, HHS announced 41 drugs available through Medicare Part B will have a lowered Part B coinsurance rate from April 1 – June 30, if the drug company raises prices faster than the rate of inflation. Beginning last April, as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, people with Medicare started to see lower coinsurance rates for certain Part B drugs with prices that increased faster than the rate of inflation.

This latest list of inflation-capped Part B drugs includes argatroban for heparin bleeding complications and fosaprepitant for nausea in adults receiving chemotherapy. Nearly 764,000 beneficiaries use one or more of these drugs annually, some of whom could see savings of $3,575 per average dose depending on their individual coverage.

CMS intends to begin invoicing prescription drug companies for rebates owed to Medicare no later than fall 2025. The rebate amounts paid by drug companies will be deposited into the Medicare Trust Fund to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the Medicare program.