January 19, 2010 - Democrats are working night and day to complete health care reform legislation. And with the lobbying frenzy in Washington reaching crescendo, a previously little-known federal program, 340B, suddenly appears to be on everybody's radar screen. Language that would extend the 340B drug discount program to also cover hospital inpatient medications was … [Read more...]
Abbott Deal May Herald New Refund Avenue for 340B Providers
January 14, 2010 - A multi-state settlement with Abbott Laboratories and Fournier, a French drug maker, covers 340B hospitals in two states.January 14, 2010 - At least a dozen 340B hospitals were included in a state-only settlement announced Jan. 7 with Abbott Laboratories and its French drug licensor, Fournier, signaling that there could be more such deals clinched in coming years. Until now, 340B providers have typically been included in global settlements brokered by the U.S. Department of Justice. … [Read more...]
Congress Edges Closer to Historic Expansion of 340B Program
Safety-net hospital pharmacies cheered when the Senate included a measure to extend the 340B discount to the hospital inpatient side in the health reform bill passed Dec. 24. But will the provision make it into Congress' final reform bill to be crafted over the next few weeks?January 7, 2010 - Across the nation this cold January, hospitals and other health care providers in the federal 340B program are holding their breath. Not since the 340B law went into effect nearly 18 years ago has Congress been so close to extending the program to hundreds of new providers, and to expanding its use for those who already participate. On December 24, on the … [Read more...]
AAC Billing Confusion Warrants Federal Clarification, SNHPA Says
Seventeen years into the 340B program, there's ample confusion over how participating providers should bill Medicaid for drugs, a recent survey shows. SNHPA has asked the government to educate states on the matter.December 24 , 2009 - Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access (SNHPA), which represents about 500 hospitals in the 340B program, has asked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) to help state Medicaid programs better understand billing rules for 340B participants. SNHPA is also encouraging the government to make all the states aware of win-win arrangements developed … [Read more...]
TRICARE Retroactive Rebates In Order, Court Rules
Manufacturers must pay retroactive rebates to the government on drugs filled by TRICARE pharmacies, a federal judge ruled. For 340B providers it should mean business as usual.December 23 , 2009 - A federal judge recently ruled that the U.S. Department of Defense is entitled to retroactive rebates on prescriptions filled by pharmacies that participate in the TRICARE Retail Pharmacy Program, rebuffing a lawsuit filed by an industry group that contested the government's right to such refunds. This means drug manufacturers, some of whom had sought to … [Read more...]
Senate Reform Bill Retains Critical Inpatient Language
A proposal to extend the 340B discount to the hospital inpatient setting survived the latest Senate health care reform bill. But the game isn't over.December 1 , 2009 - The latest health care reform bill unveiled by the Senate leadership brought some welcome news to 340B hospitals who had been riding a roller-coaster in recent months as their key legislative proposals were tossed in and out of different versions of the reform bill. The new legislation, expected to be considered by the full Senate in early December, … [Read more...]
Why the Litigation Goes On – And On
The government has been stepping up enforcement actions against Medicaid fraud in recent years, but new cases keep cropping up. Why aren't drug companies learning the lesson?December 1 , 2009 - Every other month, it seems, another pharmaceutical company is called on the carpet and forced to pay millions — or billions — to settle allegations of fraud. So far in 2009, five major government cases against drug companies have been made public: Eli Lilly ($1.43 billion), Aventis Pharmaceuticals ($95.5 million), Mylan Pharmaceuticals/UDL Laboratories … [Read more...]