BREAKING: HRSA Now Says it Will Let Some Providers Enroll in 340B Immediately During COVID-19 Pandemic
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it “is allowing some entities, upon request and review, to immediately enroll into the 340B Program.”
In a new notice on the 340B Drug Pricing Program homepage, HRSA says beginning yesterday and on every Friday, it will post a supplemental Medicaid Exclusion File “that includes a list of entities who have been approved for immediate enrollment. This list is in addition to the quarterly MEF posted on the 340B Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System.”
A new supplemental MEF dated April 8 lists nine new parent community health centers, four new parent disproportionate share hospitals, and a new family planning center, federal qualified health center, tribal/urban Indian health center, and sexually transmitted disease clinic.
HRSA has not updated its 340B COVID-19 resources webpage to reflect the policy announcement about enrollment. The FAQ there on enrollment exemptions during the pandemic states:
We are seeing a surge in patients and need to expand our services to another site. Will any special exemptions be made for covered entities or any changes to the registration process?
To the extent a covered entity has a specific concern about 340B eligibility of a new site, the covered entity should contact the 340B Prime Vendor Program (1-888-340-2787 or apexusanswers@340bpvp.com ) and we will evaluate each circumstance on a case-by-case basis. In addition, please review the content on this webpage for certain flexibilities during this time.
Hospital groups America’s Essential Hospitals and 340B Health in March asked the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and HRSA to let eligible covered entities, child sites, and contract pharmacies enroll in 340B immediately during the pandemic.
Under longstanding HRSA policy, eligible entities may enroll themselves, child sites, and contract pharmacies in 340B only during the first 15 days of January, April, July, and October. The current April enrollment period ends this week Wednesday.
