CMS to Publish ASP Rule August 5

July 27, 2004 – Earlier today, CMS put the proposed rule concerning implementation of the new ASP reimbursement methodology on display at the Office of the Federal Register. The proposed rule actually will be published on August 5, 2004, and CMS will receive comments until September 24, 2004.

As preliminary press reports have indicated, CMS estimates that the Medicare drug revenues for hematology/oncology will decline by approximately 8 percent in 2005 as a result of the policies contained in the proposed rule. In the coming weeks, ASH will conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the impact of ASP reimbursement on hematologists and will be providing comments to CMS. ASH also has been invited to share its analysis with key congressional offices. To present the most effective arguments, ASH will be soliciting help from members, particularly those who practice in a community-based setting, to provide hard data on what they currently are paying for specific drugs, their utilization rates, etc.

We will be providing more detailed information as we review the proposed rule. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to indicate your willingness to assist ASH with its analysis, please contact ASH Director of Government Relations and Practice, Mila Becker, at 202-776-0544. To download the display copy of the proposed rule, please visit the CMS Web site.