Schumer shucks Part B rule

Incoming U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has asked the Obama administration to prevent CMS from issuing a final version of its Medicare Part B value-based drug purchasing demonstration project, according to congressional staff and pharmaceutical industry lobbyists.

If the White House complies with Schumer’s request, a draft rule issued in March would be effectively dead because the Trump administration is extremely unlikely to issue a final version. If CMS issues the final rule, PhRMA and oncologists' trade associations have lined up enough votes in Congress to enact legislation that would force the administration to withdraw it, according to industry lobbyists (see BioCentury, Nov. 14)...