Medicaid misclassification bill inspired by EpiPen snafu passes Congress

How long does it take Congress to reach an agreement on drug prices? On the topic of drug misclassifications in Medicaid, about two and a half years. That’s the time that’s passed since Mylan’s famous EpiPen saga and the Justice Department settlement that followed. Finally, lawmakers have passed the Right Rebate Act, hoping to crack down on drug misclassifications that lower drugmaker rebates and cost taxpayers. And now the bill is headed to the president's desk. The legislation allows the Department of Health and Human Services to closely monitor the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program for misclassifications and requires regular reports to make sure it keeps an eye out. Under the bill, the HHS secretary could require drug companies to reclassify medications and impose penalties for drugs that are “knowingly misclassified.”