Modest Growth in Clawback Payments Continues

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the parameters that will guide calendar year (CY) 2019 individual and state costs for the Medicare Part D drug benefit. CMS projects a 3.96% increase in per capita Part D expenditures. After accounting for prior-year downward revisions, the annual percentage increase is 1.94%. Based on the release, FFIS estimates that CY 2019 clawbacks will cost states $11.7 billion, a 1.7% ($194 million) increase from CY 2018.