(Washington, D.C.) — The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) released the following statement on health care proposals reportedly included in the Administration’s proposed 2019 budget:

“While it’s unclear what impact last night’s White House 2019 budget preview will have given this morning’s budget deal, PCMA supports many of the proposed budget provisions, including those that promote generics and address high drug prices in Medicare Part B and Medicaid.

While there’s also a proposal to require Medicare Part D plans to use rebate savings to lower out-of-pocket costs instead of premiums and other expenses, this runs contrary to the Administration’s goal to reduce drug costs.  It would raise premiums for all seniors, help only 10 percent who take certain drugs, and do nothing to improve things for low-income seniors, who already pay no cost sharing in Part D.

As CMS recently found, mandating rebates at point of sale would also create a $29 billion windfall for drugmakers and raise costs for taxpayers by $82 billion.”