What CMS finalized
On September 30, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) Model. The mandatory model will test a different way of calculating manufacturer rebates for certain drugs covered by Original Medicare Part B, using prices paid in a group of economically comparable countries as part of the benchmark.
The model starts January 1, 2027 and runs through March 31, 2032. CMS says beneficiaries selected for the model may begin seeing reduced coinsurance for eligible drugs on April 1, 2027.
Which medicines are involved?
GLOBE is not a blanket discount on all prescriptions. It applies to a subset of high-spending, single-source Part B drugs and biological products that meet CMS criteria. CMS says eligible drugs will come from therapeutic areas that include oncology, rheumatology, immunology, ophthalmology and endocrinology, subject to exclusions in the final rule.
CMS will publish and update a list of GLOBE drug billing codes before each calendar quarter. Some categories are excluded, including orphan-only drugs, plasma-derived products and certain cell and gene therapies. Biosimilars and their reference products are also excluded once a biosimilar enters the U.S. market.
Not every Medicare beneficiary is in the model
The direct coinsurance reduction applies to people who have Original Medicare as their primary coverage and whose address of record falls within geographic areas randomly selected by CMS. CMS says those areas represent approximately 25% of Medicare beneficiaries with Original Medicare as primary coverage.
That means a person should not assume the new model automatically changes their own drug costs. Medicare Advantage members are not the population receiving the GLOBE Part B coinsurance reduction described by CMS.
What could change at the doctor’s office?
For beneficiaries in the model cohort who receive an eligible GLOBE drug, CMS expects the model to reduce the coinsurance amount tied to that drug. The actual savings will depend on the medication, the model’s rebate calculation and the beneficiary’s circumstances, including whether supplemental coverage already pays some or all Part B coinsurance.
CMS says the model does not restrict access to Original Medicare Part B drugs and that it will monitor drug utilization, supply, prescribing patterns and other possible unintended effects during the test.
What beneficiaries can do now
If you receive an expensive medication by infusion or injection in a doctor’s office, hospital outpatient department or other clinical setting, keep the exact medication name and your Medicare statements with your health records. As 2027 approaches, ask your treating clinician how your medication is billed and whether any announced Medicare changes affect what you pay.
GLOBE is separate from the annual Medicare Advantage and Part D plan-comparison process. If you have Medicare Advantage or Part D coverage, you should still review your 2027 plan options during Medicare Open Enrollment from October 15 through December 7, 2026.