April 22, 2021
The Honorable Xavier Becerra
Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Re: Step Therapy for Part B Drugs in Medicare Advantage
Dear Secretary Becerra,
The undersigned organizations, representing millions of Medicare beneficiaries with life-threatening, complex, chronic conditions and the physicians who care for them, are asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure that beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans continue to have appropriate and timely access to the therapies they need to properly manage their conditions. We write to you today regarding the implementation of utilization management protocols and specifically the reinstatement of an important patient protection for beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.