March 31, 2016—Twelve Members of Congress are urging the National Institutes of Health to respond favorably to a petition to use its statutory authority to lower the price of an expensive prostate cancer drug developed with taxpayer support. … [Read more...]
Physicians Group Calls for Action on Rising Drug Prices
Internists back tougher regulation of drug industryMarch 29, 2016—The nation's second-largest physician association is offering policymakers a multi-point plan to slow the rising cost of prescription drugs. … [Read more...]
Senator Skewers Turing Pharma Exec About Disputing 340B Claims
(Reprinted from the Drug Discount Monitor) The chairwoman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging excoriated a Turing Pharmaceuticals executive during a hearing today for instructing a subordinate to dispute 340B claims in order to boost company profits. The committee was holding its second hearing about Turing's toxoplasmosis drug Daraprim and other decades-old off-patent … [Read more...]
Senator Skewers Turing Exec About Disputing 340B Claims for Profit
"F these guys" one exec said to another about 340B healthcare providersMarch 17, 2016—The chairwoman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging excoriated a Turing Pharmaceuticals executive during a hearing today for instructing a subordinate to dispute 340B claims in order to boost company profits. … [Read more...]
340B Hospitals Criticize MedPAC’s Plan to Cut Their Medicare Drug Reimbursement
Commission's ideas would radically restructure drug discount programMarch 16, 2016—Safety-net hospitals are criticizing a Medicare advisory panel's recommendation that Congress should reduce Medicare payment rates for 340B hospitals’ separately payable 340B drugs by 10 percent of the average sales price (ASP), redirect the money saved to the Medicare-funded uncompensated care pool, and distribute those funds using data from the Medicare cost … [Read more...]
Delaware Bars Using 340B Drugs for Medicaid Beneficiaries
Says rule will simplify obtaining rebates and eliminate an area for provider auditsMarch 15, 2016—Delaware Medicaid has adopted a rule, subject to federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approval, barring healthcare providers from using 340B-purchased drugs for managed-care and fee-for-service Medicaid beneficiaries. … [Read more...]
HHS: Price Hikes, Specialty Drugs Driving Up Drug Spending
Total spending expected to exceed half a trillion dollars in 2018March 10, 2016—U.S. prescription drug spending is climbing steeply and projected to keep rising as a share of total healthcare spending, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says in a new report. … [Read more...]