June 18, 2014—The Health Resources and Services Administration announced this morning that it stands by its interpretation of the 340B orphan drug exclusion that lets critical access hospitals, sole community hospitals, rural referral centers, and free-standing cancer hospitals access 340B pricing on orphan drugs when they "are used for any indication other than treating the … [Read more...]
HHS Won’t Ask Judge to Take Second Look at 340B Orphan Drug Rule
Government might appeal and/or issue "interpretative" rule or guidanceJune 13, 2014—The Department of Health and Human Services has opted not to ask a federal district judge to uphold its 340B orphan drug exclusion regulation as an "interpretative" rather than "legislative" rule. … [Read more...]
HRSA Opens Bidding for 340B Prime Vendor Program
Agreement will be for five yearsJune 11, 2014—The Health Resources and Services Administration has posted its request for submissions to manage the 340B Prime Vendor Program. … [Read more...]
Drug Industry and Allies Call for Major 340B Changes at Summit
Hospitals reject meeting's premise that reform is direly neededJune 11, 2014—The 340B program should be reconfigured to directly benefit uninsured and otherwise needy patients instead of benefitting hospitals, several speakers said yesterday during a drug industry sponsored meeting on the drug discount program. Participants representing non-hospital 340B covered entities, however, cautioned against recasting 340B as a type of patient drug … [Read more...]
The Truth About Today’s AIR 340B “Summit”
The forces arrayed against the 340B program will meet today in Washington for a “leadership summit.” That nearly all the speakers are allies of the pharmaceutical industry should give any responsible journalist or policymaker serious pause. Big Pharma wants to scuttle 340B and is spending huge sums to discredit the program in the media and on Capitol Hill. Why? Because it eats … [Read more...]
New Health Affairs Study Buttresses the Case for Protecting 340B
A new study in the latest issue of Health Affairs helps explain why 340B will continue to be needed after the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented. The study found that, despite health care reform, safety-net hospitals' uncompensated care costs and Medicaid shortfalls will keep rising in California and in the states that do not expand Medicaid. The study examines how … [Read more...]
Study: Medicaid DSH Cuts Threaten Safety-Net Hospitals’ Financial Stability
Uncompensated care costs expected to rise sharply in spite of insurance expansionJune 6, 2014—Despite health care reform, safety-net hospitals' uncompensated care costs and Medicaid shortfalls will keep rising in California and in the states that do not expand Medicaid, a new study in Health Affairs finds. … [Read more...]