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ASP Drug Pricing Files October 2008 Update The files below contain the payment amounts that will be used to pay for Part B covered drugs for the fourth quarter of 2008. Comparing the fourth quarter 2008 payment amounts with the previous quarter reveals that for the most part average drug prices in the market remain stable. Overall, average payment amounts across the top physician administered drugs increased slightly, and average payment amounts across all drugs are essentially unchanged. For most of the higher volume drugs (32 out of the top 50), the payment amounts changed 2 percent or less. Overall, the payment amounts for 33 of the top 50 drugs increased, while 3 remained the same. For the fourth quarter of 2008, the Medicare payment amount is increasing up to 2 percent for IVIG. In general, among the top drugs with a decrease, there are a number of competitive market factors at work – multiple manufacturers, alternative therapies, new products, recent generic entrants, or market shifts to lower priced products. CMS remains interested in ensuring continued beneficiary access to Part B covered drugs. We will continue to monitor trends in pricing, as reflected by the published ASP payment rates, as well as utilization within the Medicare community. Where applicable, the payment amounts in the quarterly ASP files are 106 percent of the Average Sales Price (ASP) calculated from data submitted by drug manufacturers. The quarter to quarter price changes are generally the result of updated data from the manufacturers of these drugs.
Page Last Modified: 09/17/2008 8:04:16 AM
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