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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340B, Affordable Care Act, Biosimilars, Caught my eye, Drug Prices, Inflation Reduction Act, Insulin, Medicare Negotiation, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, State-based Reform, Utilization ManagementAMP is WAC — 2/13/26
Read more: AMP is WAC — 2/13/26I chuckled during the E&C hearing when members were questioning the panelists about the pharmaceutical deals with the Administration. As if these are the people they should be asking. Make a left, make right, go down about a mile – there’s a big white house. Maybe they can help you there. Parallels Between 340B and…
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Caught my eye, Copay Accumulators, Drug Prices, Employers, Healthcare Costs, Insulin, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Utilization ManagementAMP is WAC — 2/6/26
Read more: AMP is WAC — 2/6/26No, I do not think that a groundhog is a meteorologist. But, one year I am determined to make it to see Punxsutawney Phil. I expect it to be silly and cold and over quickly. I will likely have to go solo because my family thinks getting a bus from a Wal-mart parking lot in…
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Affordable Care Act, Caught my eye, Drug Prices, DTC, Employers, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Reference Pricing, State-based Reform, Utilization ManagementAMP is WAC — 1/30/26
Read more: AMP is WAC — 1/30/26This week I had to remind myself that we live in the AND. Things can be truly awful around us, but there are still moments of happiness and hope. There are some periods in life where it is harder to find the AND, but it is there. At least that is what I have to…
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Biosimilars, Caught my eye, CMMI, Drug Prices, Employers, Medicare Advantage, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Reference PricingAMP is WAC — 1/22/26
Read more: AMP is WAC — 1/22/26I swear that inside I’m an 8-year-old at times (one that likes to make cocktails, but still), I am so excited about a snowstorm. Real snowfall! Cozy inside time interspersed with time shoveling out alongside neighbors. Watching the kids sled in front of the elementary school. Pulling out the snowshoes and remembering that they aren’t…
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340B, Caught my eye, CMMI, Drug Prices, FDA, Healthcare Costs, Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Negotiation, Medicare Part D, Orphan Drugs, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Reference Pricing, ValueAMP is WAC — 1/16/26
Read more: AMP is WAC — 1/16/26In case you thought I’d leaving you hanging, today’s newsletter has a summary on GLOBE. Sphere it below? Calling it a Plan would be GENEROUS, but that’s a Whole Other Thing. On Thursday, the White House released a fact sheet urging Congress to enact President Trump’s “Great Healthcare Plan,” pitching it as a cost-cutting package…
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340B, Caught my eye, CMMI, Drug Prices, FDA, Generics, Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare Negotiation, Medicare Part D, Medicare Transaction Facilitator, Medicare Transaction Facilitator, Obesity, Reference PricingAMP is WAC — 1/9/26
Read more: AMP is WAC — 1/9/26Something is bugging me this week. Okay, lots of things are bugging me this week, but the one that is relevant to this newsletter is the STAT News headline that implied it is awesome to be a pharmaceutical executive in 2026. This week, there were reports of more than 25,000 layoffs in pharma last year.…
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GUARD Duty
Read more: GUARD DutyConfession. I was a bit of angry elf on Saturday morning. I was making dozens of cookies for neighbors and was just stressed and frustrated. Two proposed rules on a Friday afternoon are never fun, during the holiday season, brutal. My husband said that I had to be more in the moment. Try putting some…
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340B, Affordable Care Act, Caught my eye, CMMI, Drug Prices, Healthcare Costs, ICER, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Reference Pricing, State-based Reform, Utilization ManagementAMP is WAC — 12/19/25
Read more: AMP is WAC — 12/19/25Today we’re expecting to hear more about manufacturer Most Favored Nation (MFN) agreements and (if you trust the rumors) maybe more about the MFN demos – the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) Model and the Guarding U.S. Medicare Against Rising Drug Costs (GUARD) Model. I wasn’t planning on publishing the next two weeks,…
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340B, Alzheimer’s, Caught my eye, FDA, Healthcare Costs, Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare Negotiation, Preventative, Reference Pricing, ValueAMP is WAC — 12/12/25
Read more: AMP is WAC — 12/12/25Much of this week felt like playing catch-up from past weeks. Good timing because rumors are swirling about Most Favored Nation (MFN) demonstration releases for late next week. Comment letter fun during the holidays! For those of you who are new to these parts… welcome! I’m a health policy strategist focused on pharmaceuticals. My goal…
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340B, Affordable Care Act, Caught my eye, CMMI, Drug Prices, Home Health, Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Negotiation, Medicare Part D, Preventative, Reference Pricing, TariffsAMP is WAC — 12/5/25
Read more: AMP is WAC — 12/5/25It is the kind of month where I walk around with a legal pad to capture all the random thoughts floating around my head. Which is how “figure out gift baking (scones? Levain cookies?)” ends up next to “Look at MedPAC agenda.” There are no dull moments around here. While I’m on the topic. MedPAC…
Latest news
- AMP is WAC — 05/15/26
- AMP is WAC — 5/1/26
- AMP is WAC — 04/24/26
- AMP is WAC — 04/10/26
- AMP is WAC — 03/27/26
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