[T]he Final Rule will modify the federal health care program’s Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”) safe harbors in three key ways:
First, it will remove safe harbor protection under the AKS for rebates that a pharmaceutical manufacturer provides to Medicare Part D plan sponsors (either directly or indirectly through the PBMs with which they contract). In apparent recognition of how disruptive this change will be to current business models, the Final Rule postpones the effective date for this change until January 1, 2022.
Second, it will create a new safe harbor to protect certain price reductions given by pharmaceutical manufacturers that are passed through to beneficiaries at the point-of-sale. This new safe harbor will become available on January 29, 2021.
Third, it will create a new safe harbor, also effective as of January 29, 2021, that protects certain fixed fees paid by manufacturers to PBMs for PBM services.
Source: Cutting Out the “Middleman”? HHS Resurrects Anti-Rebate Rule for Medicare Part D