Pricing Future Prescription Drug Treatment Costs

The purpose of this memorandum is to set forth the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) procedures regarding the methodology of pricing future prescription drug treatment costs/expenses in Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (WCMSA) proposals.

The CMS will begin independently pricing future prescription drug treatment costs/expenses in WCMSA proposals beginning June 1, 2009. Effective with complete WCMSA submissions received by CMS’ Coordination of Benefits (COB) Contractor on or after June 1, 2009, where the WC related injury warrant(s) the need of prescription drugs for the ongoing treatment of the WC related injury, CMS’ independent pricing of the prescription drug amount will be calculated and priced using average wholesale price (AWP). The CMS will not use or recognize any other pricing, discounting, or calculation methods when determining the adequacy of the prescription drug amounts in WCMSA proposals.