AHA: Proposed 340B guidance would hurt hospitals' ability to serve patients

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s proposed omnibus guidance for the 340B Drug Pricing Program would jeopardize hospitals’ ability to serve vulnerable populations, including low-income and uninsured individuals and patients receiving cancer treatments, AHA told the agency in comments submitted today. “The AHA urges HRSA to revise significantly its proposed guidance to allow hospitals to continue their work advancing the health of individuals and communities, even in the face of the skyrocketing cost of pharmaceuticals,” wrote AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels. AHA expressed strong concerns about many of the agency’s proposals related to defining patient eligibility for the program, saying that they “would narrow inappropriately the number of drugs that qualify for 340B pricing,” and “threaten access to care for patients who need care the most.” In addition, AHA opposed HRSA’s proposal to exclude from 340B pricing outpatient drugs that are reimbursed as part of a bundled Medicaid payment, and it urged HRSA to withdraw a proposal so that patients receiving infusion services provided at 340B hospitals or their outpatient sites continue to qualify for 340B drug discount pricing. For more on AHA’s reaction to the proposed guidance, see today’s AHASTAT blog post.