Submit Comments on 340B by 7/16
Health centers are strongly encouraged to submit comments supporting BPHC’s proposal to rescind the regulation on insulin and EpiPen pricing because the rule would create a significant administrative burdens, would result in a loss of 340B savings, and would ultimately reduce health center services while health centers remain on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic response. A
short template and
long template are available for you to customize. The comment deadline is Friday, July 16.
Bill to Protect 340B Introduced
Last Friday, the PROTECT 340B Act was introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV). The bill would generally prohibit health insurers and Pharmaceutical Benefits Managers (PBMs) from discriminating against 340B providers or their contract pharmacies by imposing different rules or reimbursement terms than imposed on other providers or pharmacies. It also prohibits manufacturers and PBMs from treating 340B providers and their contract pharmacies differently from other similarly-situated providers and pharmacies with regards to reimbursement, fees, participation, and audits. It further Instructs HHS to contract with a neutral third party to serve as a clearinghouse for data needed to prevent duplicate discounts under Medicaid. The contractor would collect data on 340B drugs reimbursed by Medicaid and ensure that those drugs are not included in States’ Medicaid rebate requests.
U.S. Senate Continues Negotiations on Infrastructure Bill
Senate committees have begun drafting bill language for the bipartisan
$1.2 trillion package focused on traditional infrastructure but continue to struggle to come up with ways to pay for the nearly $600 billion in new spending. The White House is pushing for the bipartisan deal to reach the Senate floor as soon as the week of Jul 19. Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) plans to consider both the bipartisan bill and budget resolution in July, which would set the stage for a reconciliation spending bill in the fall. Senate Budget Chairman Sanders (D-VT) is advocating for a number as high as
$6 trillion, while Senator Manchin (D-WV) has indicated he will not support a package higher than
$2 trillion. In the meantime, due to the tight margins in both chambers, the
House Budget Committee decided to pause their budget resolution markup until the Senate passes their budget resolution.
Oklahoma Prepares for Needle Exchange Programs
Oklahoma lawmakers passed Senate Bill 511 last legislative session, and the bill became effective upon Governor Stitt's signature. The legislation aims to reduce the incidence of HIV and Hepatitis C due to the sharing of used needles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of Hepatitis C infections at 1,820 of every 100,000 Oklahomans. The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) will promulgate rules and coordinate the registration and collection of data from participating agencies.