February 21, 2025 

CMS Announces Public Engagement Events for the Second Cycle of Negotiations

CMS will host a series of public engagement events this spring as part of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The virtual public engagement events will provide an opportunity for patients, beneficiaries, caregivers, consumer and patient organizations, and other interested parties, such as clinicians and researchers, to share input relevant to the drugs selected for the second cycle of negotiations.

CMS is interested in input relevant to the selected drugs, the condition(s) that the selected drug may be used to treat, and other medications that may be used to manage those conditions. This includes information related to the clinical benefits of the selected drugs compared to therapeutic alternatives, how the selected drugs address unmet need, and how the selected drugs impact specific populations.

CMS will use the information shared during the roundtable events to better understand patients’ experiences with the conditions and diseases treated by the selected drugs and patients’ experiences with the selected drugs themselves. CMS will use the information shared during the town hall meeting to better understand clinicians’ experiences prescribing and/or managing treatment with the selected drugs or therapeutic alternatives and clinicians’ considerations that drive treatment choice between the selected drugs and therapeutic alternatives. The information shared during both the town hall meeting and the roundtable events will also inform CMS’ identification of therapeutic alternatives, key outcomes, and adjustment of the starting point to develop the initial offer in negotiating with manufacturers of selected drugs. CMS will release redacted transcripts for the town hall meeting and each of the roundtable events, omitting participant names and other identifying information after all the events have ended.

Dates: The public engagement events will be held April 16 – April 30, 2025. Participant registration will be open until March 12, 2025.

Attendance: Anyone from the public may attend the town hall meeting livestream as a listener. Registration is not required, and the link to the livestream will be available here on April 30, 2025. Accommodation for people with disabilities and language assistance (e.g., interpretation) may be available.

Public Input Opportunities: There are two ways the public can share feedback and input with CMS:

• Public Engagement Events:
• CMS will host one livestreamed town hall meeting for all selected drugs, focused on the clinical considerations related to the selected drugs. CMS encourages practicing clinicians and researchers, as well as other interested parties, to register to speak.
• CMS will host 15 private (i.e., not livestreamed or open to press or general public) patient-focused roundtable events, one for each selected drug, which will be open to patients, patient advocacy organizations, and caregivers selected to speak at the events, and will allow for discussion among speakers.

Those who wish to make a public statement in the town hall meeting or to participate in a private roundtable event should register for the opportunity to speak at the public engagement events. Additional information to register for the events can be found here.  For more information about the public engagement events, please see the Frequently Asked Questions document linked here.

If you are selected to speak at the event for which you registered, you will have 4 days after receiving the confirmation email to confirm your availability to participate at the selected event date and time, and any language interpretation services you need.

• Submitted Statement: CMS encourages the public to submit written input, if interested, in response to the CMS request for information about selected drugs and evidence about alternative treatments. Information can be submitted here by 11:59 PM PT March 1, 2025.

The public engagement events are subject to change, including postponement and/or cancellation.

Additional information on the public engagement events can be found here. Additional information about the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program can be found here.