January 14, 2016—The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted 14-3 today to recommend that Congress reduce Medicare Part B drug reimbursement for 340B hospitals by 10 percent of average sales price, which would cut the amount a hospital saves on a Part B drug by about 30 percent put the savings into the Medicare-funded hospital uncompensated care pool distribute … [Read more...]
Hospitals Decry MedPAC Draft Recommendation on 340B
Vulnerable patients would suffer if Congress embraces proposed changesJanuary 14, 2016—Three hospital associations have expressed concerns to congressional Medicare advisers about a draft recommendation regarding the 340B program being voted on this morning. … [Read more...]
Congress Members Want NIH Action on Pharma “Price Gouging”
"Unreasonably priced" drugs challenging families and providersJanuary 12, 2016—Fifty Members of Congress are asking the National Institutes of Health to use its existing statutory authority "to respond to the soaring cost of pharmaceuticals." … [Read more...]
340B Recertification for Most Federal Grantees Begins Jan. 27
Title X centers and hospitals will recertify their eligibility separatelyJanuary 8, 2015—Annual recertification of eligibility for most federal grantees in the 340B drug discount program will begin on Jan. 27 and end on March 2. … [Read more...]
What’s In Store for 340B in 2016
This could be a pivotal year for the drug discount programDecember 22, 2015—2016 could be a pivotal year for the 340B drug discount program, with guidance and regulations slated for release, a 340B pricing website under development, and Congress, the Obama administration, and presidential candidates focused on rising prescription drug prices. … [Read more...]
HRSA Tells Providers How to Report 340B Price Unavailability
Monthly program update for December links to new sample formDecember 21, 2015—Healthcare providers that can't obtain 340B pricing on a covered outpatient drug and can't get satisfaction from their wholesaler and/or the drug manufacturer shouldn't hesitate to bring the problem to the government's attention, federal officials say. … [Read more...]
Prices for Many Generic Drugs Outpacing Inflation Benchmark
Medicaid rebates would be $1.4 billion greater if inflation penalty had been in placeDecember 17, 2015—Medicaid would have received an additional $1.4 billion in rebates on the top 200 generic drugs for 2005 through 2014 if the rebate calculation for generic drugs contained an inflationary adjustment similar to the one applicable to brand-name drugs, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General says in a new report. … [Read more...]