At 8:30 this morning, the live auction negotiation for the 2024 Medicare catalog officially kicked off in Beijing. According to previously released information, over the next four days, from today until the 30th, 162 drugs will participate in the live negotiations and bidding.
What are the key points to watch in this year’s negotiations?
CCTV reporter Zheng Yizhe, who is on the scene, reports that, similar to previous years, the negotiations involve 25 experts from various local Medicare departments, divided into five groups to discuss Medicare pricing for drugs. This marks the beginning of the live negotiation and bidding process. For this year’s adjustments to the Medicare drug list, we are focusing on three main features: dynamic adjustments, support for innovation, and reducing patient burdens.
This year marks the seventh consecutive year of adjustments to the Medicare drug list since the establishment of the National Healthcare Security Administration, maintaining the annual adjustment system. This allows for the timely inclusion of new and effective drugs that meet necessary criteria. Over the past six years, 744 new drugs have been added, bringing the total number of drugs in the list—including Western and traditional Chinese medicines—to 3,088.
Regarding new technology pathways, including newly approved drugs in these negotiations ensures that the drug coverage aligns more closely with clinical needs.
The goal of these negotiations is to make healthcare more accessible and to reduce the financial burden for all insured patients. According to data released by the National Healthcare Security Administration, since its inception, the drugs added through these negotiations have benefited over 800 million insured patients. When considering the combined effects of negotiated price reductions and Medicare reimbursements, the total financial relief for the public has exceeded 800 billion yuan, with over 340 billion yuan coming directly from the Medicare fund.
The final results of the negotiations are expected to be announced in November, with the new measures taking effect on January 1st of next year, ultimately benefiting even more patients.
