August 16, 2012—The Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) plans to begin recertifying federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) enrolled in the 340B program in January, with the first notification emails being sent to centers' authorizing officials in November, OPA announced this week. During an Aug. 14 webinar, OPA Director Cmdr. Krista Pedley also said that 340B stakeholders … [Read more...]
OPA Moving 340B Change Request Process Online
Paper forms will still be required for termination requests and some other updatesAugust 8, 2012—Beginning next week, health care providers that need to update certain information in the Office of Pharmacy Affairs' (OPA) 340B covered entity database will have to use a new online tool instead of submitting paper forms. OPA made the announcement on its home page this morning.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] Starting Aug. 13, it said, there will be a new … [Read more...]
OPA No Longer Posting 340B Hospital DSH Data on Its Web Site
Says it is assessing alternatives to list that came from CMSAugust 3, 2012—The Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) is no longer relying on disproportionate share (DSH) adjustment percentage data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to assist in the determination of whether a hospital qualifies for 340B, and it will not be posting DSH payment percentages on its Web site any longer. The following announcement recently … [Read more...]
CMS Issues Medicare Hospital Outpatient Payment Proposal for 2013
Says it intends to pay ASP + 6% for separately payable drugs and biologicalsAugust 1, 2012—The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed to budget $48.1 billion for Medicare reimbursement to hospital outpatient facilities in 2013, an increase of 2.1 percent above this year’s level. In addition, it will increase the payment rate for separately payable drugs and biologicals by 2 percent and drop a problematic payment methodology that … [Read more...]
Octapharma Partners With Apexus to Provide IGIV at Sub-340B Price
Sub-ceiling price available for octagam 5% now and possibly for 10% formulation laterAugust 1, 2012—Octapharma USA's octagam 5% immune globulin intravenous (IGIV) therapy is now available at sub-340B pricing to participants in the Apexus/340B Prime Vendor Program (PVP). Apexus Director of Contract Services John Barnes made the announcement in a July 30 email to PVP participants.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] "It has taken nearly eight years, but we have … [Read more...]
HRSA Changes Timetable for Enrollment in 340B
Providers get four 15-day periods per year to add themselves, child sites, and contract pharmaciesJuly 25, 2012—Beginning this fall, health care providers will have four 15-day periods per year in which to enroll themselves, their outpatient facilities, or their contract pharmacies in the 340B program, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced in the Federal Register yesterday. HRSA issued the notice in final form and it will take effect Oct. 1, … [Read more...]
House Panel Excludes 340B User Fee from FY 2013 Funding Bill
Measure also would bar HHS from using funds to implement health care reformJuly 23, 2012—The House health appropriations subcommittee has declined to include language in its fiscal 2013 funding bill for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would authorize the collection of user fees on 340B discounted drugs. Its July 18 action came about a month after the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an HHS spending bill that would … [Read more...]