AMP is WAC (and other thoughts)
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ABOUT AMP is WAC
Average Manufacturer Price (AMP) is not equal to Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC), but it is close. And since the whole world of health policy and reimbursement is a bit WAC-y, that’s what we’re calling this update/blog part of the site. All of the opinions and thoughts presented here are our own and not the views of clients or affiliates.
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Biosimilars, Caught my eye, Drug Prices, Employers, Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare Negotiation, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Benefit ManagersCaught my eye — 8/16/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 8/16/24Just a quiet health policy week. Well actually, depending on your level of wonkiness, it kind of was? But let’s get into what you need to know. They’re Here! On Thursday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the “negotiated” prices for the initial ten Medicare prescription drug benefit drugs (Part D); these prices…
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The Day has Arrived
Read more: The Day has ArrivedIn my 20s, today would have been like the Super Bowl for nerdiness. I would have been really excited about the first look at the negotiated rates for the first 10 drugs, effective January 2026. But I’m not. Why is my wonkiness holding back? So my hunch is that plans will put the competitor drugs…
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Caught my eye — 8/9/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 8/9/24A pretty quiet week for pharma health policy but there are a few things I think you should know … The Auchincloss Venn Diagram. Brian Reid improved upon Congressman Auchincloss’s diagram and I think it provides a great way to think about pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. No chicken, no egg – straight to the…
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Caught my eye, Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare Negotiation, Medicare Part D, State-based Reform, UncategorizedCaught my eye — 08/02/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 08/02/24Up, up and away. Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced initial premium information for the 2025 Medicare prescription drug benefit. The base beneficiary premium went up 6% or $2.08 to $36.78. Which sounds okay until you realize that 6% is a capped amount due to the Inflation Reduction Act.…
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Caught my eye — 07/26/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 07/26/24Let’s be honest, health policy has sort of taken a backseat when it comes to what we’re all tracking these days. And that’s okay. If you’ve taken a deserved timeout, let me catch you up on what caught my eye. Ice Ice Baby. The House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability released a report…
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When Less is More (in a not good way)
Read more: When Less is More (in a not good way)According to the June 2024 analysis by Milliman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) drug pricing provisions could increase out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for 3.5 million Medicare Part D patients in 2026. The analysis estimates that beneficiaries who take medicines subject to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP) could…
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Caught my eye — 7/12/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 7/12/24Maybe it’s summer, maybe it’s an existential crisis but none of the news of late feels all that important. Not on my bingo card. This week the Federal Trade Commission released an interim report on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). It was a takedown of the industry but that’s just words, not action. Unless it isn’t.…
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340B, Biosimilars, Drug Prices, Generics, Healthcare Costs, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, ValueCaught my eye — 6/21/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 6/21/24You know it is hot when I say, “Let’s go for a walk” and my dog looks at me from the stop of the stairs and refuses to move. At 6:30 in the morning. I hope you’re feeling more motivated than he is. Same same, not different. Late last year, the Medicare prescription drug benefit…
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Caught my eye — 6/14/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 6/14/24Summer vibes are real in the DC area this week with schools letting out and pool time kicking in. College wood bat baseball league games are on, and the summer night hang out is in full swing. I don’t know if it is my mood or the season or both, but things seem a little…
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Caught my eye — 06/07/24
Read more: Caught my eye — 06/07/24A relatively quiet week around these parts. I think everyone is so ASCO’d and BIO’d that policy is taking a quick breather. A PDAB will do you. The National Pharmaceutical Council put out a nice round-up comparing four prescription drug affordability boards. The chart is my favorite part – Extra, extra. Elevance Health, a health…
Latest news
- AMP is WAC — 04/24/26
- AMP is WAC — 04/10/26
- AMP is WAC — 03/27/26
- AMP is WAC — 03/20/26
- AMP is WAC — 03/13/26
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