December 3, 2014—The Health Resources and Services Administration plans to publish two 340B program regulations next year, one in April and the other in September, according to the federal government's latest agenda of upcoming regulatory actions. … [Read more...]
New Study on Underinsurance Underscores 340B’s Importance
Drugmakers and others who want the 340B program to disappear sometimes argue there's less need for the drug discounts in the post-Obamacare era. New research shows why they're wrong. Underinsurance in America is growing, as non-elderly adults are paying more out-of-pocket for private health insurance, a new Commonwealth Fund study finds. What's more, the problem is most acute … [Read more...]
Bill Would Extend Medicaid Drug Rebate Inflation Penalty to Generics
Measure doesn't mention 340B, but it also might affect drug discountsDecember 2, 2014—Two members of Congress who have been investigating rising generic drug prices have introduced legislation that would require generic drugmakers to provide larger Medicaid drug rebates whenever their products' prices rise faster than the rate of inflation. … [Read more...]
National Newspaper Ad Hits Genentech’s Specialty-Drug Switch
Open letter in The New York Times calls for reversal of "ill-advised" changeNovember 24, 2014—A leading hospital group purchasing organization and 16 prominent health care institutions asked Genentech in an open letter in The New York Times yesterday to reverse its "ill-advised decision" to move its top-selling cancer drugs Avastin, Herceptin, and Rituxan into the more expensive specialty distribution channel. … [Read more...]
Hospital Cancer Clinics See Four Times More Poor Patients
Cancer patients treated in hospital outpatient departments are almost four times more likely than those treated in physician offices to be uninsured or covered by Medicaid, a new study commissioned by the American Hospital Association shows. They also tend to be sicker and come from lower-income communities. Unlike other studies that have erroneously examined the zip codes of … [Read more...]
Study: Hospital Cancer Clinics See Four Times More Poor Patients as Private Clinics
Patients are sicker and have more complex conditionsNovember 21, 2014—Cancer patients treated in hospital outpatient departments are almost four times more likely than those treated in physician offices to be uninsured or covered by Medicaid, a new study commissioned by the American Hospital Association shows. These patients also tend to be sicker and come from lower-income communities. … [Read more...]
Briefing Schedule Set for Second 340B Orphan Drug Lawsuit
Judge who heard first case will hear the follow-upNovember 20, 2014—Final briefs in the drug industry's second lawsuit over the 340B orphan drug exclusion will be due in late March 2015, under a federal district court scheduling order filed this week. … [Read more...]