District Court grants TRO on Most Favored Nation Rule

Posted by on December 23, 2020
CMS

On December 23, 2020, The District Court for the District of Maryland granted a temporary restraining order temporarily ceasing the implementation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (“CMS”) Most Favored Nations Rule (the “Rule”) for fourteen (14) days. The Rule, published on November 27, seeks to lower the amount paid for 50 high-cost Medicare Part B drugs to the lowest price that drug manufacturers receive in similar countries. The Rule was set to take effect on January 1, 2021. Several suits have been filed challenging the Rule’s validity and CMS’ authority in issuing the Rule, particularly since the Rule was issued without the usual notice and comment procedures. In granting the TRO, the Court found that the plaintiffs demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of their claim under the Administrative Procedures Act, which requires an agency to publish a general notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register and allow stakeholders to comment. We will continue to monitor developments on this case and the other pending cases closely.

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