HHS sets Aug. 30 meeting as costs for COVID products to shift to payors, individuals – WSJ
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The Department of Health and Human Services has planned a meeting of industry stakeholders later this month as the U.S. seeks an end to the purchases of COVID-19 shots and treatments leading to a shift in who pays for them, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The representatives of drug manufacturers, pharmacies, and health departments with a stake in the COVID therapeutics industry will participate in the meeting, which is expected to take place on Aug. 30.
"Weâve known at some point weâd need to move over into the commercial market, and weâre approaching that time now," the Journal reported, quoting Dawn OâConnell, the assistant secretary at HHS for preparedness and response. "We donât want to do it by fiat."
During the pandemic, the federal government has led the purchases of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics making them available for Americans at zero cost.
However, the payments for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines will shift to the commercial market in the months ahead, giving more control over their pricing and coverage to the healthcare industry.
At the meeting, the issues related to reimbursement and coverage, regulations, and access to vaccines and treatment for the uninsured will likely be discussed.
Leading COVID-19 vaccine makers: Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), BioNTech (BNTX), Moderna (MRNA), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and Novavax (NVAX)
Makers of COVID-19 therapeutics: Gilead (GILD), Eli Lilly (LLY), Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK)
Major pharmacy retailers: CVS Health Corporation (CVS), Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), Rite Aid Corporation (RAD)
Health insurers: CVS Health (CVS), Cigna (CI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Humana (HUM), Molina Healthcare (MOH), Elevance Health (ELV), Centene Corporation (CNC)
Early this week, the White House COVID response coordinator Ashish Jha said that the shift to commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests will begin as early as this fall.