October 9, 2012—The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published Supplemental Security Income (SSI) percentages for 2010 that could affect hospitals' eligibility for 340B drug discounts. The Medicare disproportionate share (DSH) adjustment percentage is a figure used to calculate a Medicare add-on payment to hospitals that serve a large volume of indigent … [Read more...]
OPA Gives Its Web Site a Top-to-Bottom Makeover
Changes emphasize office's focus on complianceOctober 5, 2012—The Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) has thoroughly overhauled its Web site, including consolidating some sections, eliminating others, drastically reducing the number of navigation links on its home page, and significantly reorienting the entire site around the theme of program compliance. The changeover occurred during the evening of Oct. … [Read more...]
Senator Seeks Information About Three N.C. Hospitals’ 340B Programs
Request comes after newspapers publish articles about hospitals' finances and billing practicesOctober 2, 2012—The Senate Judiciary Committee's senior Republican has sent letters to three 340B hospitals in North Carolina —Carolinas Medical Center, University of North Carolina Hospital, and Duke University Health System—seeking information about their participation in the 340B program and how they use their drug discount savings. In an Oct. 1 news release, Sen. Charles … [Read more...]
PSSC Web Site Taken Offline
Contract for successor agency is set to take effect on Oct. 1September 27, 2012—The Pharmacy Services Support Center (PSSC) Web site has been taken offline as a result of the closing out of the American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). APhA announced last week that HRSA awarded it a contract to manage the successor to PSSC, which it has run since … [Read more...]
Computer Glitch Affects 340B Contract Pharmacy Registration
Some entities are hurrying to file before Oct. 1, when new enrollment rules take effectSeptember 27, 2012—With a Sept. 30 deadline approaching, a technical problem with the 340B covered entity database is preventing covered entities from printing forms that they must sign to register contract pharmacies in the drug discount program. The problem appears to have arisen sometime on Sept 25.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] According to a notice on the database's … [Read more...]
OPA Looking More Closely at Drug Manufacturer 340B Compliance
Prospect of audits of drug companies comes up during industry conferenceSeptember 26, 2012—After a year of unprecedented scrutiny of 340B covered entities, there are signs the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) is beginning to look more closely at whether drug manufacturers are fulfilling their obligations under the drug discount program and might even begin auditing some companies. OPA is "in the process of looking into some issues" with drug … [Read more...]
HRSA Awards 340B Contract to APhA
Successor to PSSC will focus on enhancing program oversightSeptember 24, 2012—The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has been awarded a one-year contract with four option years to operate the successor to the Pharmacy Services Support Center (PSSC), the 340B technical assistance agency that APhA has run since 2002 under two previous federal contracts. The new agency will begin operations on Oct. 1, the pharmacists' group said … [Read more...]