USE OF AVERAGE SALES PRICE PAYMENT METHODOLOGY
Sec. 1847A. [42 U.S.C. 1395w–3a] (a) Application.—
(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), this section shall apply to payment for drugs and biologicals that are described in section 1842(o)(1)(C) and that are furnished on or after January 1, 2005.
(2) Election.—This section shall not apply in the case of a physician who elects under subsection (a)(1)(A)(ii) of section 1847B for that section to apply instead of this section for the payment for drugs and biologicals.
(b) Payment Amount.—
(1) In general.—Subject to paragraph (7) and subsections (d)(3)(C) and (e), the amount of payment determined under this section for the billing and payment code for a drug or biological (based on a minimum dosage unit) is, subject to applicable deductible and coinsurance—
(A) in the case of a multiple source drug (as defined in subsection (c)(6)(C)), 106 percent of the amount determined under paragraph (3) for a multiple source drug furnished before April 1, 2008, or 106 percent of the amount determined under paragraph (6) for a multiple source drug furnished on or after April 1, 2008; or
(B) in the case of a single source drug or biological (as defined in subsection (c)(6)(D)), 106 percent of the amount determined under paragraph (4).
(2) Specification of unit.—
(A) Specification by manufacturer.—The manufacturer of a drug or biological shall specify the unit associated with each National Drug Code (including package size) as part of the submission of data under section 1927(b)(3)(A)(iii).
(B) Unit defined.—In this section, the term “unit” means, with respect to each National Drug Code (including package size) associated with a drug or biological, the lowest identifiable quantity (such as a capsule or tablet, milligram of molecules, or grams) of the drug or biological that is dispensed, exclusive of any diluent without reference to volume measures pertaining to liquids. For years after 2004, the Secretary may establish the unit for a manufacturer to report and methods for counting units as the Secretary determines appropriate to implement this section.
(3) Multiple source drug.—For all drug products included within the same multiple source drug billing and payment code, the amount specified in this paragraph is the volume-weighted average of the average sales prices reported under section 1927(b)(3)(A)(iii) determined by—
(A) computing the sum of the products (for each National Drug Code assigned to such drug products) of—
(i) the manufacturer’s average sales price (as defined in subsection (c)); and
(ii) the total number of units specified under paragraph (2) sold; and
(B) dividing the sum determined under subparagraph (A) by the sum of the total number of units under subparagraph (A)(ii) for all National Drug Codes assigned to such drug products.
(4) Single source drug or biological.—The amount specified in this paragraph for a single source drug or biological is the lesser of the following:
(A) Average sales price.—The average sales price as determined using the methodology applied under paragraph (3) for single source drugs and biologicals furnished before April 1, 2008, and using the methodology applied under paragraph (6) for single source drugs and biologicals furnished on or after April 1, 2008, for all National Drug Codes assigned to such drug or biological product.
(B) Wholesale acquisition cost (wac).—The wholesale acquisition cost (as defined in subsection (c)(6)(B)) using the methodology applied under paragraph (3) for single source drugs and biologicals furnished before April 1, 2008, and using the methodology applied under paragraph (6) for single source drugs and biologicals furnished on or after April 1, 2008, for all National Drug Codes assigned to such drug or biological product.
(5) Basis for payment amount.—The payment amount shall be determined under this subsection based on information reported under subsection (f) and without regard to any special packaging, labeling, or identifiers on the dosage form or product or package.
(6) Use of volume-weighted average sales prices in calculation of average sales price.—
(A) In general.—For all drug products included within the same multiple source drug billing and payment code, the amount specified in this paragraph is the volume-weighted average of the average sales prices reported under section 1927(b)(3)(A)(iii) determined by—
(i) computing the sum of the products (for each National Drug Code assigned to such drug products) of—
(I) the manufacturer’s average sales price (as defined in subsection (c)), determined by the Secretary without dividing such price by the total number of billing units for the National Drug Code for the billing and payment code; and
(II) the total number of units specified under paragraph (2) sold; and
(ii) dividing the sum determined under clause (i) by the sum of the products (for each National Drug Code assigned to such drug products) of—
(I) the total number of units specified under paragraph (2) sold; and
(II) the total number of billing units for the National Drug Code for the billing and payment code.
(B) Billing unit defined.—For purposes of this subsection, the term “billing unit” means the identifiable quantity associated with a billing and payment code, as established by the Secretary.
(7) Special rule.—Beginning with April 1, 2008, the payment amount for—
(A) each single source drug or biological described in section 1842(o)(1)(G) that is treated as a multiple source drug because of the application of subsection (c)(6)(C)(ii) is the lower of—
(i) the payment amount that would be determined for such drug or biological applying such subsection; or
(ii) the payment amount that would have been determined for such drug or biological if such subsection were not applied; and
(B) a multiple source drug described in section 1842(o)(1)(G) (excluding a drug or biological that is treated as a multiple source drug because of the application of such subsection) is the lower of—
(i) the payment amount that would be determined for such drug or biological taking into account the application of such subsection; or
(I) the payment amount that would have been determined for such drug or biological if such subsection were not applied.
(8) Biosimilar biological product.—The amount specified in this paragraph for a biosimilar biological product described in paragraph (1)(C) is the sum of—
(A) the average sales price as determined using the methodology described under paragraph (6) applied to a biosimilar biological product for all National Drug Codes assigned to such product in the same manner as such paragraph is applied to drugs described in such paragraph; and
(B) 6 percent of the amount determined under paragraph (4) for the reference biological product (as defined in subsection (c)(6)(I)).
(c) Manufacturer’s Average Sales Price.—
(1) In general.—For purposes of this section, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the manufacturer’s “average sales price” means, of a drug or biological for a National Drug Code for a calendar quarter for a manufacturer for a unit—
(A) the manufacturer’s sales to all purchasers (excluding sales exempted in paragraph (2)) in the United States for such drug or biological in the calendar quarter; divided by
(B) the total number of such units of such drug or biological sold by the manufacturer in such quarter.
(2) Certain sales exempted from computation.—In calculating the manufacturer’s average sales price under this subsection, the following sales shall be excluded:
(A) Sales exempt from best price.—Sales exempt from the inclusion in the determination of “best price” under section 1927(c)(1)(C)(i).
(B) Sales at nominal charge.—Such other sales as the Secretary identifies as sales to an entity that are merely nominal in amount (as applied for purposes of section 1927(c)(1)(C)(ii)(III), except as the Secretary may otherwise provide).
(3) Sale price net of discounts.—In calculating the manufacturer’s average sales price under this subsection, such price shall include volume discounts, prompt pay discounts, cash discounts, free goods that are contingent on any purchase requirement, chargebacks, and rebates (other than rebates under section 1927). For years after 2004, the Secretary may include in such price other price concessions, which may be based on recommendations of the Inspector General, that would result in a reduction of the cost to the purchaser.
(4)[278] Payment methodology in cases where average sales price during first quarter of sales is unavailable.—In the case of a drug or biological during an initial period (not to exceed a full calendar quarter) in which data on the prices for sales for the drug or biological is not sufficiently available from the manufacturer to compute an average sales price for the drug or biological, the Secretary may determine the amount payable under this section—
(A) in the case of a drug or biological furnished prior to January 1, 2019, based on—
(i) the wholesale acquisition cost; or
(ii) the methodologies in effect under this part on November 1, 2003, to determine payment amounts for drugs or biologicals; and
(B) in the case of a drug or biological furnished on or after January 1, 2019—
(i) at an amount not to exceed 103 percent of the wholesale acquisition cost; or
(ii) based on the methodologies in effect under this part on November 1, 2003, to determine payment amounts for drugs or biologicals.
(5) Frequency of determinations.—
(A) In general on a quarterly basis.—The manufacturer’s average sales price, for a drug or biological of a manufacturer, shall be calculated by such manufacturer under this subsection on a quarterly basis. In making such calculation insofar as there is a lag in the reporting of the information on rebates and chargebacks under paragraph (3) so that adequate data are not available on a timely basis, the manufacturer shall apply a methodology based on a 12-month rolling average for the manufacturer to estimate costs attributable to rebates and chargebacks. For years after 2004, the Secretary may establish a uniform methodology under this subparagraph to estimate and apply such costs.
(B) Updates in payment amounts.—The payment amounts under subsection (b) shall be updated by the Secretary on a quarterly basis and shall be applied based upon the manufacturer’s average sales price calculated for the most recent calendar quarter for which data is available.
(C) Use of contractors; implementation.—The Secretary may contract with appropriate entities to calculate the payment amount under subsection (b). Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may implement, by program instruction or otherwise, any of the provisions of this section.
(6) Definitions and other rules.—In this section:
(A) Manufacturer.—The term “manufacturer” means, with respect to a drug or biological, the manufacturer (as defined in section 1927(k)(5)).
(B) Wholesale acquisition cost.—The term “wholesale acquisition cost” means, with respect to a drug or biological, the manufacturer’s list price for the drug or biological to wholesalers or direct purchasers in the United States, not including prompt pay or other discounts, rebates or reductions in price, for the most recent month for which the information is available, as reported in wholesale price guides or other publications of drug or biological pricing data.
(C) Multiple source drug.—
(i) In general.—The term “multiple source drug” means, for a calendar quarter, a drug for which there are 2 or more drug products which—
(I) are rated as therapeutically equivalent (under the Food and Drug Administration’s most recent publication of “Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations”),
(II) except as provided in subparagraph (E), are pharmaceutically equivalent and bioequivalent, as determined under subparagraph (F) and as determined by the Food and Drug Administration, and
(III) are sold or marketed in the United States during the quarter.
(ii) Exception.—With respect to single source drugs or biologicals that are within the same billing and payment code as of October 1, 2003, the Secretary shall treat such single source drugs or biologicals as if the single source drugs or biologicals were multiple source drugs.
(D) Single source drug or biological.—The term “single source drug or biological” means—
(i) a biological; or
(ii) a drug which is not a multiple source drug and which is produced or distributed under a new drug application approved by the Food and Drug Administration, including a drug product marketed by any cross-licensed producers or distributors operating under the new drug application.
(E) Exception from pharmaceutical equivalence and bioequivalence requirement.—Subparagraph (C)(ii) shall not apply if the Food and Drug Administration changes by regulation the requirement that, for purposes of the publication described in subparagraph (C)(i), in order for drug products to be rated as therapeutically equivalent, they must be pharmaceutically equivalent and bioequivalent, as defined in subparagraph (F).
(F) Determination of pharmaceutical equivalence and bioequivalence.—For purposes of this paragraph—
(i) drug products are pharmaceutically equivalent if the products contain identical amounts of the same active drug ingredient in the same dosage form and meet compendial or other applicable standards of strength, quality, purity, and identity; and
(ii) drugs are bioequivalent if they do not present a known or potential bioequivalence problem, or, if they do present such a problem, they are shown to meet an appropriate standard of bioequivalence.
(G) Inclusion of vaccines.—In applying provisions of section 1927 under this section, “other than a vaccine” is deemed deleted from section 1927(k)(2)(B).
(H) Biosimilar biological product.—The term “biosimilar biological product” means a biological product approved under an abbreviated application for a license of a biological product that relies in part on data or information in an application for another biological product licensed under section 351 of the Public Health Service Act[279].
(I) Reference biological product.—The term “reference biological product” means the biological product licensed under such section 351 that is referred to in the application described in subparagraph (H) of the biosimilar biological product.
(d) Monitoring of Market Prices.—
(1) In general.—The Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services shall conduct studies, which may include surveys, to determine the widely available market prices of drugs and biologicals to which this section applies, as the Inspector General, in consultation with the Secretary, determines to be appropriate.
(2) Comparison of prices.—Based upon such studies and other data for drugs and biologicals, the Inspector General shall compare the average sales price under this section for drugs and biologicals with—
(A) the widely available market price for such drugs and biologicals (if any); and
(B) the average manufacturer price (as determined under section 1927(k)(1)) for such drugs and biologicals.
(3) Limitation on average sales price.—
(A) In general.—The Secretary may disregard the average sales price for a drug or biological that exceeds the widely available market price or the average manufacturer price for such drug or biological by the applicable threshold percentage (as defined in subparagraph (B)).
(B) Applicable threshold percentage defined.—In this paragraph, the term “applicable threshold percentage” means—
(i) in 2005, in the case of an average sales price for a drug or biological that exceeds widely available market price or the average manufacturer price, 5 percent; and
(ii) in 2006 and subsequent years, the percentage applied under this subparagraph subject to such adjustment as the Secretary may specify for the widely available market price or the average manufacturer price, or both.
(C) Authority to adjust average sales price.—If the Inspector General finds that the average sales price for a drug or biological exceeds such widely available market price or average manufacturer price for such drug or biological by the applicable threshold percentage, the Inspector General shall inform the Secretary (at such times as the Secretary may specify to carry out this subparagraph) and the Secretary shall, effective as of the next quarter, substitute for the amount of payment otherwise determined under this section for such drug or biological the lesser of—
(i) the widely available market price for the drug or biological (if any); or
(ii) 103 percent of the average manufacturer price (as determined under section 1927(k)(1)) for the drug or biological.
(4) Civil money penalty.—
(A) In general.—If the Secretary determines that a manufacturer has made a misrepresentation in the reporting of the manufacturer’s average sales price for a drug or biological, the Secretary may apply a civil money penalty in an amount of up to $10,000 for each such price misrepresentation and for each day in which such price misrepresentation was applied.
(B) Procedures.—The provisions of section 1128A (other than subsections (a) and (b)) shall apply to civil money penalties under subparagraph (B) in the same manner as they apply to a penalty or proceeding under section 1128A(a).
(5) Widely available market price.—
(A) In general.—In this subsection, the term “widely available market price” means the price that a prudent physician or supplier would pay for the drug or biological. In determining such price, the Inspector General shall take into account the discounts, rebates, and other price concessions routinely made available to such prudent physicians or suppliers for such drugs or biologicals.
(B) Considerations.—In determining the price under subparagraph (A), the Inspector General shall consider information from one or more of the following sources:
(i) Manufacturers.
(ii) Wholesalers.
(iii) Distributors.
(iv) Physician supply houses.
(v) Specialty pharmacies.
(vi) Group purchasing arrangements.
(vii) Surveys of physicians.
(viii) Surveys of suppliers.
(ix) Information on such market prices from insurers.
(x) Information on such market prices from private health plans.
(e) Authority To Use Alternative Payment in Response to Public Health Emergency.—In the case of a public health emergency under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act in which there is a documented inability to access drugs and biologicals, and a concomitant increase in the price,[280] of a drug or biological which is not reflected in the manufacturer’s average sales price for one or more quarters, the Secretary may use the wholesale acquisition cost (or other reasonable measure of drug or biological price) instead of the manufacturer’s average sales price for such quarters and for subsequent quarters until the price and availability of the drug or biological has stabilized and is substantially reflected in the applicable manufacturer’s average sales price.
(f) Quarterly Report on Average Sales Price.—For requirements for reporting the manufacturer’s average sales price (and, if required to make payment, the manufacturer’s wholesale acquisition cost) for the drug or biological under this section, see section 1927(b)(3).
(g) Judicial Review.—There shall be no administrative or judicial review under section 1869, section 1878, or otherwise, of—
(1) determinations of payment amounts under this section, including the assignment of National Drug Codes to billing and
(2) the identification of units (and package size) under subsection (b)(2);
(3) the method to allocate rebates, chargebacks, and other price concessions to a quarter if specified by the Secretary;
(4) the manufacturer’s average sales price when it is used for the determination of a payment amount under this section; and
(5) the disclosure of the average manufacturer price by reason of an adjustment under subsection (d)(3)(C) or (e).
[278] P.L. 116–39, §6, struck “payable under this section for the drug or biological based on—” and all that followed through the period at the end of paragraph (4), and inserted “payable under this section—” and new subparagraphs (A) and (B). Effective August 6, 2019.
[279] See Vol. II, P.L. 78-410, §351.
[280] As in original. Comma should be removed.