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Benjamin N. Rome, MD, MPH

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Benjamin N. Rome, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Benjamin Rome is Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and a PORTAL faculty member. A general internist and health policy researcher, his work examines how federal and state policies influence the regulation, use, and cost of prescription drugs, and the resulting effects on patient access, affordability, and clinical outcomes.

Dr. Rome’s work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Health Affairs, and BMJ. His research has been featured in a Congressional report on rising prescription drug prices, and he has testified about the regulation and cost of medications before the US House of Representatives. In 2022, he was selected as an Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholar by the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Rome received his undergraduate degree in community health from Brown University, his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and his Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is a practicing primary care physician at the Phyllis Jen Center for Primary Care. He serves as Site Co-Director for the HMS Fellowship in General Medicine and Primary Care and as Assistant Director for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Management and Leadership Pathway.

Featured Work

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The Growing Success of Medicare Drug-Price Negotiation

Rome BN, Kesselheim AS - New England Journal of Medicine

Commentary & Opinion

| February 2026

Price, Value, and Access

The second round of Medicare drug price negotiations achieved average price reductions of 44% across 15 drugs, double the savings of the first round. These added savings may reflect both improvements in CMS’ negotiating strategy as well as the negotiation of more low-rebate drugs, such as cancer therapies, for which the savings potential is greater. Despite legal and political challenges, the authors conclude the program is delivering substantial savings and should be expanded to further improve drug affordability in Medicare.

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Changes in Medication Use During Medicaid Continuous Enrollment and Unwinding

Rome BN, Han J, McIntyre A, Kesselheim AS, Sommers BD - JAMA Health Forum

Research Publications

| January 2026

Price, Value, and Access

Expanded Medicaid enrollment during the COVID-19 continuous coverage period and the subsequent unwinding were associated with corresponding changes in use of prescription medications for chronic diseases, suggesting that these Medicaid policies affected patients’ access to necessary health care. States that implemented protective policies during unwinding experienced smaller decreases in medication use, highlighting the value of efforts to maintain patient access to medications during coverage transitions.

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Out-Of-Pocket Spending for Biologic Drugs After Biosimilar Competition for Medicare Patients

Riegler JS, Kesselheim AS, Rome BN - JAMA Network Open

Research Publications

| January 2026

Innovation Incentives and Competition
Price, Value, and Access

Among nearly 275,000 Medicare Advantage patients who used one of seven clinician‑administered biologics, average annual out-of-pocket spending fell by about $94 within four years of biosimilar competition, with savings concentrated among patients with coinsurance or deductibles. These findings contrast reports of inconsistent out-of-pocket savings for patients with private insurance, suggesting that Medicare’s reimbursement for biologics based on average sales prices allows biosimilar competition to translate more directly into patient savings.

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