August 27, 2014—Drug manufacturers are free to challenge the new 340B orphan drug exclusion "interpretative" rule, but they cannot do so as part of their successful lawsuit against the orphan drug "legislative" rule that came before, a federal district judge ruled this morning. … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2014
Most Drugmakers Not Following HRSA’s 340B Orphan Drug Interpretive Rule
340B Prime Vendor says it is aware of "at least five" that are offering 340B pricingAugust 22, 2014—Most drugmakers reportedly are not extending 340B pricing on orphan drugs to rural and freestanding cancer hospitals despite the Health Resources and Services Administration's position that they are required by law to do so. … [Read more...]
Medicaid Drug Rebate Dispute Resolution Could Be Improved, OIG Says
CMS and HRSA reportedly are working on guidance regarding 340B-purchased drugsAugust 21, 2014—The Medicaid drug rebate program saved states and the federal government an average of $17.5 billion annually between 2011 and 2013, an amount that will grow as a result of changes made by the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General says in a new report. … [Read more...]
Why 340B Matters: Perspectives from Texas, Kansas, and Tennessee
Hat's off to three Ascension Health hospitals for writing op-eds for their local papers about why 340B is vital to their mission to help vulnerable patients. In the Aug. 18 edition of the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman, Seton Healthcare Family CEO Jesús Garza noted that "the 340B law is simple and effective. Allowing Seton and other safety net providers to pay less for … [Read more...]
The 340B Hospitals That Allegedly Live Large Off the Poor? They’re Barely Breaking Even.
Last week in Forbes, Big Pharma propagandist Sally Pipes claimed that 340B enables corruption, by letting hospitals "enhance their bottom lines with hundreds of millions of dollars intended to help the indigent." Someone forgot to tell this to Wall Street. Around the same time that Pipes was fulminating about those devious 340B hospitals, Standard & Poor’s Ratings … [Read more...]
Nonprofit Hospitals and Health Systems at a Financial “Tipping Point”
Median operating margin for systems fell to 2.2% in 2013 and is expected to decline further in 2014August 18, 2014—Nonprofit hospitals and health systems remained barely in the black in 2013 and signs point to even more financial pressure ahead, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services warned last week in two new reports. … [Read more...]
One-Third of Drugmakers Skipped Medicare Part B Price-Reporting Requirement
Failure might have resulted in incorrect payments to providers, OIG findsAugust 14, 2014—More than a third of drugmakers failed to submit average sales price data to the federal government for one or more of their Medicare Part B drugs during third quarter of 2012, despite being required to do so, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has found. … [Read more...]