Category: State

State Activity to Rein in PBM Discrimination Against 340B Entities Heats Up

March 11, 2021 Ron Shinkman Views

Tennessee is one of at least six states weighing legislation to forbid PBM discrimination against 340B covered entities.

At least six states have introduced or passed bills in recent weeks that would forbid pharmacy benefit managers from discriminating against 340B covered entities regarding reimbursements and other practices.

The bills range from 340B-specific legislation to broader bills to address

…

News Flash: State Attorney General Orders Sanofi to Hand Over 340B Information

March 9, 2021 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

So far, none of the other drug companies denying or imposing conditions on 340B pricing on contract pharmacy drugs have publicly reported being subpoenaed by Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan.

Vermont State Attorney General T.J. Donovan (D) has issued a subpoena to drug manufacturer Sanofi “seeking certain information about Sanofi’s 340B program participation,” the company disclosed last week.

Neither Sanofi nor Donovan’s office have responded to requests for comment. Sanofi

…

N.Y. and Calif. 340B Pharmacies Get Reprieve From Medicaid Cuts

March 2, 2021 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

New York State and California’s nationally watched efforts to transfer their pharmacy programs for low-income individuals from Medicaid managed care to Medicaid fee for service (FFS)—both scheduled to take effect on April 1—have been temporarily placed on hold. The states

…

Indiana House to Vote on Stopping PBMs From Squeezing 340B Entities

February 16, 2021 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

An Indiana House committee last week unanimously passed a bill to stop pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from discriminating against 340B covered entities.

State Rep. Edward Clere’s (R) bill, HR 1393, is now before the full House. There is no

…

Calif. Health Centers Ask Newsom to Delay Medi-Cal Drug Benefit Shift Until 2022

February 9, 2021 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

California health centers have asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to delay the transfer of Medicaid managed care drug benefits to Medicaid fee for service until next year.

California health centers asked Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday to delay implementing his controversial transfer of Medicaid drug benefits from managed care to fee for service until January 2022, to let health centers “focus on the needs of their

…

44 New York State Lawmakers Urge Cuomo to Reverse Medicaid Drug Benefit Transfer

February 2, 2021 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

Forty-four New York state legislators have signed a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) expressing “strong opposition” to the scheduled transfer in April of Medicaid managed care pharmacy benefits to Medicaid fee for service. They said the transfer “will have

…

Nevada ADAP Postpones Controversial 340B Policy Change

January 14, 2021 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

Nevada’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) on Tuesday postponed “through April 1, 2021, if not longer,” a 340B program policy change strongly opposed by the state’s Ryan White CARES Act grantees.

The state health department’s Division of Public and

…

Nevada Ryan White Clinics Furious About State ADAP’s 340B Policy Change

January 12, 2021 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

A screen shot of AHF Las Vegas Pharmacy's home page. AHF is leading opposition to a Nevada Medication Assistance Program (NMAP) 340B policy change that it is says will deprive HIV/AIDS clinics of desperately needed 340B savings.

Nevada Ryan White CARES Act grantees enrolled in 340B are strongly protesting a state AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) policy change that the clinics say will deprive them of 340B savings on drugs that pay for housing, transportation, and

…

Providers Are Pleased, PhRMA Isn’t, With Becerra and State AGs’ 340B Letter to Azar

December 15, 2020 Tom Mirga, Editor at Large Views

Editor’s note—A cascade of breaking 340B news developments over the past seven days—Amgen’s orphan drug action, HRSA’s dispute resolution final rule, the hospital lawsuit against HHS, the state attorneys general letter to HHS and the new GAO report—forced us to

…