NCCS Joins Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) in Comments to CMS Regarding “Protected Classes”

NCCS joined its colleagues in the Cancer Leadership Council in urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider the new policy on classes of clinical concern that has been proposed for Medicare Part D beginning in contract year 2015. CMS has proposed removing three classes of drugs from “protected classes” status. In comments to CMS, the groups strongly recommend that CMS abandon its decision to eliminate the protected classes of antidepressants, immunosuppressants, and antipsychotics and also reconsider the criteria for establishing a class of clinical concern. Cancer patients often have serious and significant co-morbidities that require treatment, and the protected classes policy has helped to ensure that they have appropriate access not only to antineoplastics but also to supportive care medications.