Children's Hospital of Michigan October 19, 2009 - Children's Hospital of Michigan is the first children's hospital to be officially enrolled in the 340B drug discount program. It took the 225-bed hospital more than three years and a re-submittal of its application, but now that it's all said and done, hospital employees who pushed hard for the designation are both … [Read more...]
NDC Reporting Not Mandated for Outpatient Drugs, CMS Says
Safety-net hospitals get federal relief from a controversial reporting policy that was costing some millions of dollars to implement. It's now up to states whether or not to require the NDCs.October 9, 2009 - After more than a year of legal wrangling over a requirement that hospitals report national drug codes (NDCs) for physician-administered outpatient drugs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has agreed to modify its controversial 2007 policy. It will now be up to individual states to decide whether to continue to require hospitals to … [Read more...]
Ohio Carve-Out Ban Failed; Other States Press On
Financially strapped states continue to seek ways to trim Medicaid reimbursements for 340B providers. Who's next on the carve-out no-no list?October 7, 2009 - Some safety-net providers in Ohio drew a sigh of relief in July when learning that they could continue to exclude Medicaid drugs from the 340B program, a billing technique that protects a coveted revenue source for such providers. Language in the Ohio fiscal 2010 state budget that would have required 340B-covered health care facilities to buy their Medicaid … [Read more...]
PhRMA Escapes a Bullet
A proposal to expand the Medicaid rebate program to dual eligibles hit political reality this week. Lawmakers feared the measure would drive PhRMA away from health care reform.September 25, 2009 - It's all about lowering costs and providing universal and better health care for Americans. So why is it that a proposal to shift so-called dual eligibles from Medicare to Medicaid – a $86 billion saving to the government over 10 years – was voted down by Democrats who had long pushed for such a policy change? Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced an … [Read more...]
Feds Will Always Have Role in Health Care, Daschle Tells Industry
Former Senator and Health Secretary Nominee Tom Daschle addresses drug industry on health reform.Former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) September 23, 2009 - The nation could be entering a historic turning point as lawmakers seek to transform nearly one-fifth of the nation's economy, former Senator and Health Secretary Nominee Tom Daschle told the national Medicaid Drug Rebate Program conference in Chicago on Tuesday. Equally historic, he said is the fact that all … [Read more...]
Donut Hole Patched, Rebates Hiked in Latest Reform Bill
Sen. Max Baucus' $865-billion health care reform proposal could bring new drug savings for safety-net providers and Medicaid. It also requires manufacturers to contribute billions toward a system overhaul.Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) September 18, 2009 - Sen. Max Baucus, chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, presented hisproposal for overhauling the nation's health care system Wednesday. As expected, the $865-billion plan included several provisions that will have a direct or indirect impact on players in the 340B drug discount program. Legislation to extend … [Read more...]
Children’s Hospitals in 340B, but Retroactive Discounts Denied
New applicants face more documentation and tougher rules on rebate discounts. Millions of dollars in savings could be lost.September 11, 2009 - After more than a two-year delay, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued final guidelines on Sept. 1 to let free-standing children's hospitals participate in the 340B program. The change, eagerly anticipated by safety-net providers serving indigent children, is effective immediately. But the new rules severely curtail the … [Read more...]