WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania have introduced bipartisan legislation to give Medicaid and Medicare Part D providers access to more comprehensive information on prescription drugs.
“The body of knowledge available to prescribers currently is limited by law,” Grassley said. “Our bill updates the available information for the benefit of doctors and patients who should have access to the most complete medical literature available. It’s in the patients’ best interest for doctors to make the most informed decisions about what prescription drugs work best in any situation.”
“This legislation will ensure that medical professionals have access to vital information that can aid patients,” Casey said. “Making sure this information is available will ensure Medicare beneficiaries can receive high quality care.”
Under current law, the Social Security Act permits the Medicaid program, and Medicare Part D by cross-reference, to use only three compendia to determine which drugs the federal government will cover and reimburse. In contrast, the federal government uses more than three compendia for off-label drug indications for Medicare Part B.
Since studies have shown that even the best-performing compendia leave knowledge gaps, medical professionals should consult as many high quality compendia as possible to obtain the most informed answers for patients. The standard should be the same throughout Medicaid and Medicare, Grassley and Casey said.
Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services believe that a legislative change is required to facilitate the benefits of all compendia for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
The bill is in the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee, where Grassley is a senior member and former chairman and Casey is a member.
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