Medicare beneficiaries have already seen the first results of federal drug price negotiation: lower prices on 10 high-cost medications took effect January 1, 2026. Now, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing to make the program that achieved those reductions permanent.
CMS issued Proposed Rule CMS-4215-P on June 12, 2026, which would transform the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program from a guidance-based pilot into a formal, durable regulatory framework. The rule would codify the program for all future negotiation cycles beginning with the initial price applicability year 2029, establishing clear and predictable procedures for how drugs are selected, how negotiations proceed, and how maximum fair prices are implemented.
