HRSA Tees Up 340B Health Center Insulin Final Rule
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) yesterday sent its final rule to implement President Trump’s executive order regarding community health centers’ 340B savings on insulin and injectable epinephrine to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final approval. This moves the rule a big step closer to publication in the Federal Register. Health centers say the order is based on fundamental misunderstandings of how they and the 340B program operate, and if implemented would do “significantly more harm than good.”
Group Asks Congress to Act During Lame Duck to Preserve Hospitals’ 340B Eligibility During Pandemic
America’s Essential Hospitals on Nov. 19 urged Congress during its lame duck session “to act to protect 340B eligibility for covered entities that experience changes to their payer mix for the duration of the COVID-19 PHE, while still allowing new hospitals and clinics to join the program as soon as they become eligible.” Bipartisan bills to protect the hospitals from losing their eligibility have been introduced in the House and Senate. Republican-sponsored bills in both chambers would impose reporting requirements on 340B hospitals.
Opioid Manufacturer Announces Credits for 340B Overcharges
Purdue Pharma—which yesterday pled guilty in federal court to fraud and kickback charges related to its role in fueling the national opioid-abuse epidemic—is providing credits for 340B overcharges during 2018 on OxyContin, Butrans, and other products. The company posted a notice about the availability of the credits on the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) website.
