BIO Submits Comments Re: HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019
November 29, 2017
Dear Acting Secretary Hargan and Administrator Verma:
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s or the Department’s) Proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019.1 BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers, and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO’s members develop medical products and technologies to treat patients afflicted with serious diseases, to delay the onset of these diseases, or to prevent them in the first place. Our members’ novel therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics not only have improved health outcomes, including productivity and quality of life, but also have reduced health care expenditures due to fewer physician office visits, hospitalizations, and surgical interventions.
In its annual update of standards and requirements related to the exchanges and the health plans offered on them, HHS should strive for a policy framework that ensure access to health insurance also means access to appropriate care. We appreciate the work undertaken by HHS to develop and refine this framework since the inception of the Exchanges in 2014. But we believe more can and should be done. In this Notice, the Department proposes a number of modifications to foundational elements of the Exchanges – including significant changes to the ways States craft their essential health benefits (EHB) packages. We encourage the Department to carefully consider how these and other changes could impact the patient experience for those enrolled in health plans through the Exchanges.
Below, we provide detailed feedback on a number of proposed changes that could impact patient access that have been included in this year’s Notice.
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our strong concern with a proposed update to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. If finalized in its current form, the proposed rule (CMS-2434-P) would impose significant costs to the government and industry…
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’ (Committee’s) Request for Information on Improving and Protecting Access to Gene Therapies…
Dear Acting Secretary Hargan and Administrator Verma:
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s or the Department’s) Proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019.1 BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers, and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO’s members develop medical products and technologies to treat patients afflicted with serious diseases, to delay the onset of these diseases, or to prevent them in the first place. Our members’ novel therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics not only have improved health outcomes, including productivity and quality of life, but also have reduced health care expenditures due to fewer physician office visits, hospitalizations, and surgical interventions.
In its annual update of standards and requirements related to the exchanges and the health plans offered on them, HHS should strive for a policy framework that ensure access to health insurance also means access to appropriate care. We appreciate the work undertaken by HHS to develop and refine this framework since the inception of the Exchanges in 2014. But we believe more can and should be done. In this Notice, the Department proposes a number of modifications to foundational elements of the Exchanges – including significant changes to the ways States craft their essential health benefits (EHB) packages. We encourage the Department to carefully consider how these and other changes could impact the patient experience for those enrolled in health plans through the Exchanges.
Below, we provide detailed feedback on a number of proposed changes that could impact patient access that have been included in this year’s Notice.