The bill, titled the “Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act,” would close the “screening loophole,” a situation where Medicare beneficiaries are required to foot the bill for a colonoscopy if a precancerous or cancerous polyp is removed. The bill also proposes a 0.5 percent physician payment update for Medicare rates for 2020 and 2021.
The bill also would require CMS to negotiate prices for certain drugs, including insulin, nongeneric drugs and more than 100 drugs that account for the highest spending nationally.
More articles on gastroenterology:
Two AI-driven technologies in gastroenterology to watch: Key insights from Dr. Sushovan Guha
North Carolina endoscopy center offering AI-powered colonoscopies
How the CMS 2020 final rule will affect gastroenterologists & 4 other must-read articles
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