Reps. seek unique reimbursement rates for biosimilars

Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) led a bipartisan group of 33 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who sent a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Andrew Slavitt urging the agency to provide biosimilars with unique Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes and unique payment rates. The letter said language in the Social Security Act supports individual reimbursement calculations for biosimilars.

Last month, CMS proposed a rule under which all biosimilars for a given reference product covered under Medicare Part B would be issued the same HCPCS code and would therefore be reimbursed at the same rate (see BioCentury Extra, July 10). ...