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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Cell and gene therapies can transform the lives of |
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people living with rare and severe diseases that are difficult to |
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treat; and |
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WHEREAS, A rapidly growing class of one-time treatments, CGT |
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can correct underlying causes of such conditions as sickle cell |
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disease, alleviating symptoms and halting progression; these |
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treatments have the potential to reduce health care spending over |
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the long term by addressing the underlying causes of disease, |
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reducing the severity, and decreasing health care utilization; and |
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WHEREAS, The high upfront cost of these treatments makes it |
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difficult for state Medicaid agencies to pay for them; accordingly, |
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the CGT Access Model was created to improve health outcomes for |
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people with Medicaid by supporting agreements between states and |
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manufacturers that will provide for treatments within a framework |
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that lowers prices for states and ties payment to outcomes; and |
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WHEREAS, A voluntary program under the Center for Medicare |
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and Medicaid Innovation of the federal Centers for Medicare and |
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Medicaid Services, the CGT Access Model tests whether a CMS-led |
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approach to developing and administering outcomes-based agreements |
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for cell and gene therapies expands Medicaid beneficiaries' access |
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to innovative treatment, improves their health outcomes, and |
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reduces health care costs and burdens to state Medicaid programs; |
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under the model, CMS and pharmaceutical manufacturers would |
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negotiate a set of key terms, including pricing and outcome |
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measures, that would form the basis for individual contracts |
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between the manufacturer and participating states; participating |
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states would receive CMS technical assistance and funding; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has |
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evaluated the CGT Therapy Access Model and has applied for |
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admission in order to test its innovative payment and service |
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delivery models to reduce program expenditures while enhancing the |
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quality of care; and |
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WHEREAS, Cell and gene therapies offer potentially |
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life-changing benefits, and their use for Texas Medicaid patients |
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with rare and severe diseases holds the possibility of improving |
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health outcomes while lowering long-term costs to the state; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby express support for the Texas Health and Human Services |
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Commission's application to the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model |
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through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and its |
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Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. |