Pharmaceutical companies should concentrate on making drugs more affordable rather than on disparaging hospitals in the 340B drug discount program, the leader of the association of more than 1,200 hospitals that participate in 340B says in a new op-ed. The drug industry's "tired line of attack regarding 340B hospital charity-care levels…conveniently ignores the $25 billion in … [Read more...]
HRSA Sends 340B Dispute Resolution Rule to OMB for Review
Claims-resolution process would be mandatory and bindingJune 17, 2016—The Health Resources and Services Administration has sent its proposed rule to create a mandatory and binding administrative dispute resolution process for the 340B program to the White House for pre-publication review. … [Read more...]
340B Recertification for Hospitals Tentatively to Begin on Aug. 10
Informational webinar penciled in for July 20June 16, 2016—The Health Resources and Services Administration has started informing hospital groups that annual recertification of eligibility for 340B drug discounts for hospitals is tentatively scheduled to begin Aug. 10 and end Sept. 7, with an informational webinar currently set for July 20. … [Read more...]
OIG Issues Report on Excluding 340B Drugs from Medicaid MCO Rebates
Recommends using claim-level methods to identify claims for 340B-purchased drugsJune 14, 2016—A new Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General analysis of the ways states identify 340B drugs given to Medicaid managed care organization patients concludes that claim-level methods "can help states more accurately identify 340B claims, and thus reduce the risk of duplicate discounts and foregone rebates associated with … [Read more...]
Senate Appropriators Vote to Level-Fund 340B
Committee includes 0.1 percent user feeJune 10, 2016—Senate appropriators voted yesterday to level-fund the 340B program at $10.24 million in fiscal year 2017, which begins Oct. 1. … [Read more...]
Senators Want Answers About Overdose Rescue Drug’s Rising Cost
Pfizer and Mylan among drugmakers under scrutinyJune 8, 2016—A Senate committee investigating sky-high pricing on age-old medicines wants five drugmakers to explain why an opioid overdose rescue drug's cost is rising. … [Read more...]
Vermont Enacts Drug Price Transparency Law
Measure also addresses Medicaid dispensing fee for 340B drugsJune 6, 2016—Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin has signed a bill into law requiring makers of prescription drugs with rapidly escalating prices to document and justify the increases. Failure to comply could lead to a $10,000 civil penalty. … [Read more...]