“Most-Favored Nation” Drug Pricing Rule
11/20/2020
Statement on “Most-Favored Nation” Drug Pricing Rule By Eleanor M. Perfetto, PhD, MS, Interim Chief Executive Officer
and Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid released a final “most-favored nation” rule, linking government payments to drug prices paid in foreign countries. The National Health Council agrees, people with chronic diseases and disabilities are poorly served by our current pharmaceutical pricing and coverage system. However, it is irresponsible to finalize this rule without an opportunity for public comment and to leave it for the next administration to implement. The NHC is a long-time supporter of appropriate value assessment that uses patient engagement and input to ensure value is evaluated from the patient perspective. We are concerned that, through this rule, the government could define value based on the needs, perceptions, and preferences of people in other countries, without considering the views of US patients.