CMS has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to gather public feedback on strategies to strengthen the U.S.-based supply chain for personal protective equipment and essential medicines.
The agency is considering options to encourage American-made procurement among Medicare-participating hospitals. These include a potential “Secure American Medical Supplies” designation and revised payment mechanisms to help offset the resource burden of domestic sourcing, according to a Jan. 26 news release.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, said the effort builds on lessons from the COVID-19 public health emergency, which exposed vulnerabilities in foreign-dependent medical supply chains. The agency is inviting comments from hospitals, manufacturers, suppliers and other stakeholders on designations, payment models and other policy tools to support a more resilient supply chain.
The comment period is open for 60 days through the Federal Register.
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