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Drug Spending

Updated: 11-28-2023

For over 25 years, the HHS Office of Inspector General has conducted work to assess drug spending in HHS programs. This work covers three domains: reimbursement, program compliance, and incentive alignment. This page is a compilation of completed reports, unimplemented recommendations, enforcement actions, and industry guidance.

Industry Guidance

The Federal anti-kickback statute1 makes it a criminal offense to knowingly and willfully offer, pay, solicit, or receive any remuneration to induce or reward referrals of items or services reimbursable by a Federal health care program. Where remuneration is paid purposefully to induce or reward referrals of items or services payable by a Federal health care program, the anti-kickback statute is violated. In addition, the civil monetary penalty provision prohibiting inducements to beneficiaries (the CMP)2 against any person who gives something of value to a beneficiary of Medicare or a State health care program (including Medicaid) that the benefactor knows or should know is likely to influence the beneficiary's selection of a particular provider, practitioner, or supplier of any item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, by Medicare or a State health care program (including Medicaid).

The resources below provide guidance on OIG's interpretation and enforcement of these statutes in the context of drug pricing and reimbursement.

Footnotes

1 See section 1128B(b) of the Social Security Act.

2 See section 1128A(a)(5) of the Social Security Act.