January 19, 2011—Larry S. Gage, who founded the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) in 1981 and has served for 30 years as NAPH's president, has announced he will retire from the position on July 1. Bruce Siegel M.D., who joined NAPH last October as the association's first chief executive officer, will assume the title of president. Gage was … [Read more...]
Mylan Pharmaceuticals Mailing Settlement Checks to 340B Providers
Providers given 180 days to cash checks or risk forfeiture to U.S. treasury.January 19, 2011—Mylan Pharmaceuticals has mailed checks to 340B covered entities in accordance with its October 2009 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over allegations that it misclassified authorized generic drugs between 2000 and 2004 for purposes of Medicaid rebates and 340B drug discounts. The settlement also included Mylan's UDL Laboratories subsidiary. Under … [Read more...]
Hospital Groups Challenge Denial of Retroactive 340B Discounts
Policy is at odds with congressional intent and HRSA's past guidance, they say.January 19, 2011—The Office of Pharmacy Affairs' (OPA) decision that rural hospitals cannot seek 340B drug discounts on purchases between Jan. 1, 2010 and their enrollment in the program contradicts congressional intent and the office's own past guidance, three hospital groups maintained in a Jan. 11 letter to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Safety … [Read more...]
U.S. Solicitor General, but not States, Will Participate in Supreme Court 340B Arguments
January 10, 2011—The U.S. Supreme Court decided late last week to let the U.S. Solicitor General's office argue before it on Jan. 19 that 340B drug discount agreements between the federal government and pharmaceutical manufacturers do not grant safety-net providers the right to sue to recover alleged overcharges. The Court, meanwhile, denied a similar motion by four states … [Read more...]
States Seek to Participate in Arguments in U.S. Supreme Court 340B Case
Request signals their keen interest in the lawsuit's outcome.January 7, 2011—Four states and the District of Columbia have asked the U.S. Supreme Court for permission to argue in person before it on Jan. 19 that safety-net providers have a right to sue drug manufacturers for allegedly charging them more for pharmaceuticals than the 340B drug discount program allows. The attorneys general of Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, West Virginia and … [Read more...]
House Set for Symbolic Vote to Repeal Health Care Reform
340B program, meanwhile, adds another 248 sites.January 7, 2011—In a largely symbolic move, the U.S. House is widely expected next week to pass legislation to repeal last year's health care reform law, including its expansion of the 340B drug discount program and provisions closing the "donut hole" in elderly American's Medicare Part D drug benefits. The vote by the Republican-controlled House will be essentially null, … [Read more...]
OPA Budget Remains Stuck at 2010 Level Through March 4
Limited expansion of 340B to inpatient setting shelved as 111th Congress ends.December 23, 2010—President Obama signed a temporary spending bill for the federal government yesterday that continues funding for the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) at its fiscal 2010 level of $2.2 million through early March. OPA has warned that it will not implement a new 340B dispute resolution process or another to impose civil monetary penalties on drug manufacturers … [Read more...]