§ 419.64 Transitional pass-through payments: Drugs and biologicals.

(a) Eligibility for pass-through payment. CMS makes a transitional pass-through payment for the following drugs and biologicals that are furnished as part of an outpatient hospital service: (1) Orphan drugs. A drug or biological that is used for a rare disease or condition and has been designated as an orphan drug under section 526 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act if payment for the drug or biological as an outpatient hospital service was being made on August 1, 2000. (2) Cancer therapy drugs and biologicals. A drug or biological that is used in cancer therapy, including, but not limited to, a chemotherapeutic agent, an antiemetic, a hematopoietic growth factor, a colony stimulating factor, a biological response modifier, and a bisphosphonate if payment for the drug or biological as an outpatient hospital service was being made on August 1, 2000. (3) Radiopharmaceutical drugs and biological products. A radiopharmaceutical drug or biological product used in diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic nuclear medicine services if payment for the drug or biological as an outpatient hospital service was being made on August 1, 2000. (4) Other drugs and biologicals. A drug or biological that meets the following conditions: (i) It was first payable as an outpatient hospital service after December 31, 1996. (ii) CMS has determined the cost of the drug or biological is not insignificant in relation to the amount payable for the applicable APC (as calculated under § 419.32(c)) as defined in paragraph (b) of this section. (iii) A biological that is not surgically implanted or inserted into the body. (b) Cost. CMS determines the cost of a drug or biological to be not insignificant if it meets the following requirements: (1) Services furnished before January 1, 2003. The expected reasonable cost of a drug or biological must exceed 10 percent of the applicable APC payment amount for the service related to the drug or biological. (2) Services furnished after December 31, 2002. CMS considers the average cost of a new drug or biological to be not insignificant if it meets the following conditions: (i) The estimated average reasonable cost of the drug or biological in the category exceeds 10 percent of the applicable APC payment amount for the service related to the drug or biological. (ii) The estimated average reasonable cost of the drug or biological exceeds the cost of the drug or biological portion of the APC payment amount for the related service by at least 25 percent. (iii) The difference between the estimated reasonable cost of the drug or biological and the estimated portion of the APC payment amount for the drug or biological exceeds 10 percent of the APC payment amount for the related service. (c) Limited period of payment. CMS limits the eligibility for a pass-through payment under this section to a period of at least 2 years, but not more than 3 years, that begins as follows: (1) For a drug or biological described in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this section—August 1, 2000. (2) For a drug or biological described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section—the date that CMS makes its first pass-through payment for the drug or biological. (d) Amount of pass-through payment. Subject to any reduction determined under § 419.62(b), the pass-through payment for a drug or biological equals the amount determined under section 1842(o) of the Social Security Act, minus the portion of the APC payment amount that CMS determines is associated with the drug or biological.