March 22, 2017—The Government Accountability Office is investigating whether drug manufacturers are abusing the Orphan Drug Act for profit. … [Read more...]
HHS Mulls Pushing Back 340B Ceiling Price Rule to Oct. 1
March 17, 2017 – The Health Resources and Services Administration has again pushed back the effective date of its 340B ceiling price and manufacturer civil monetary penalties regulation, from March 21 to May 22, and is inviting comment on whether a longer delay to Oct. 1 “would be more appropriate.” … [Read more...]
President Wants to Cut HHS Spending by 18 Percent
March 16, 2017—The Trump administration today released a budget blueprint for fiscal 2018 seeking $69 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, an 18 percent ($15 billion) decrease from the current spending level. The blueprint doesn’t say how much the 340B drug discount program and other HHS subdivisions would receive. The president’s full budget will be … [Read more...]
ACA Repeal & Replace Bill Mum on 340B
March 7, 2017—Draft legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, as currently written, does not address rural and freestanding children’s and cancer hospitals’ eligibility for 340B drug discounts. Nor does the legislation address ACA’s 340B program integrity provisions. … [Read more...]
HRSA Still Plans to Start Enforcing New 340B Regulation on April 1
March 3, 2017—In accordance with the Trump administration’s regulatory freeze, the Health Resources and Services Administration yesterday pushed back the effective date of its 340B ceiling price and manufacturer civil monetary penalties regulation 15 days, from March 6 to March 21. … [Read more...]
Big Pharma Plays the Blame Game on Drug Prices
March 2, 2017—If you’re in business, it’s bad news when the president of the United States asks a joint session of Congress on national TV to do something immediately about your “artificially high” prices. That’s the situation Big Pharma is in today. President Trump’s jab about its price gouging in his Feb. 28 congressional address is just the latest he’s taken at the … [Read more...]
Report: Patient Groups Mum on High Drug Costs
February 23, 2017—Big Pharma pours so much money into patient advocacy groups that the dough renders them mute on the drug price issue, according to a trenchant piece in USAToday. “The National Patient Advocate Foundation receives 60 percent of its $2 million budget from the pharmaceutical industry, while the Colon Cancer Alliance gets 15 percent of its $1.2 million budget,” … [Read more...]