Answers to Big 340B Rebate Questions Could Come Soon

Big potential changes to how 340B operates plus heightened interest in both new protections and new restrictions for covered entities means there is much to keep track of in the 340B world. 340B Health CEO Maureen Testoni joins us to make sense of recent developments in the nation’s courts and beyond.

Rebates Get Their Day in Court

340B Health, two member hospitals, and the government met drug companies in court in late April to challenge drugmaker attempts to replace 340B discounts with rebates. Testoni says the judge cited potentially devastating consequences to hospitals if rebates proceeded but also had probing questions for the government on how it is working to address drugmaker compliance concerns. The Dept. of Health and Human Services is set to release guidance by early June on the rebate issue, and the court’s decision could come out soon.

The White House Proposes 340B Big Oversight Shift 

A leaked copy of the Trump administration’s latest budget proposal includes a plan to move the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) from the Health Resources & Services Administration to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Testoni says the oversight shift is concerning because of a stark difference between the purpose of 340B and the operations of Medicare and Medicaid. CMS also imposed years of Medicare payment cuts to 340B hospitals that the U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned.

340B Protections, Mandates Take Center Stage

States continue enacting laws to protect hospital access to 340B pricing, but they also are moving forward with reporting mandates and proposals to define how hospitals should use their savings. Testoni said reporting and use-of-savings mandates lead to misdirected views on the purpose of 340B, which goes far beyond direct patient care and cost assistance. On Capitol Hill, a report from a long-running investigation of 340B recently came out, contributing to the debate over possible new restrictions.

Resources

1. Federal Government Signals Upcoming Guidance on 340B Rebate Models Amid Legal Challenges
2. Brief Your Leaders on White House Plans for Major 340B Changes
3. Nebraska Is 12th State To Enact Contract Pharmacy Protections
4. Indiana Becomes Fifth State To Mandate 340B Reports From Hospitals
5. Key Senator Concludes 340B Investigation, Calls for Major Reforms
6. New 340B Health Research
7. 340B Impact Profiles