340B hospitals can register certain outpatient locations with the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) as 340B child sites, which allows them to use 340B drugs. HRSA recently announced some changes to how it had been determining this eligibility during the COVID-19 public health emergency. How have these changes affected 340B hospitals, particularly those that had planned new child sites under the previous policy? For the answers to this question and more, we spoke to Chuck Stubbs, a 340B pharmacist with Intermountain Health based in Salt Lake City.  How new hospital chi ..read more

The Health Resources & Services Administration audits 200 covered entities each year for compliance with 340B rules. We speak with Mark Capuano, senior director of the corporate pharmacy 340B program at New York City Health and Hospitals, about what hospitals should expect when they find out they will be going through a 340B audit. How a hospital can prepare for a 340B audit Auditors typically will ask to schedule a pre-site visit call and will provide a data request list for the information the auditor is seeking. Mark says it is important to provide this information in a timely, accura ..read more

340B sits at an intersection where federal programs and state agencies come together. Maine, Minnesota, and Washington recently enacted new laws requiring hospitals to report 340B information to the states each year. What should health systems know about these new requirements? We speak with Danny Ackert, the director of state government relations at the Minnesota Hospital Association, to learn more about what these requirements look like in his state and what hospitals might expect in other states considering such reporting. What Minnesota’s reporting law requires Danny explains that Minnes ..read more

We are returning to a popular episode format we aired early last year, when we consulted with 340B Health’s expert staff to answer your most pertinent 340B questions. As we start another busy year for 340B, we help you prepare for the action by answering your questions about the Genesis court decision, 340B activity in state legislatures, Medicare Part B repayments, and more.  Patient Definition After the Genesis Decision  One listener wonders how the recent Genesis court decision might affect 340B patient definition issues. We discuss the implications, the status of HRSA’s 1996 pat ..read more

Episode Description: The 340B drug pricing program can produce significant savings that hospitals can invest in more equitable care for underserved patients. What are some of the best ways for hospitals to use their savings in the pursuit of greater health equity? We sit down with Danielle McPherson, the executive director of managed care contracting and operations with Mercy Health, to discuss how one Mercy hospital uses 340B savings to close health care gaps in the St. Louis area. Danielle provides practical advice for how other hospitals can take their own integrated, collaborative, and fo ..read more

The past several months have seen several major developments in the world of 340B drug pricing. 340B Health President and CEO Maureen Testoni returns to the show to break down some of the most important recent 340B stories. Landmark Federal Court Ruling on Patient Definition In November, a federal court in South Carolina ruled against the Health Resources & Services Administration for an unpublished interpretation of 340B patient definition guidelines the agency had been using in audits of covered entities. Maureen explains the implications of this ruling, which could extend far beyond the ..read more

In July, Karen Bowling became the new chair of the 340B Health Board of Directors. The West Virginia native is the president and CEO of Princeton Community Hospital and executive vice president of government affairs for West Virginia University Health System (WVU Medicine).  In this episode, Bowling discusses her clinical and leadership experience, her 340B advocacy and communications work, and her advice for getting hospital and health system leaders engaged on 340B.  Connecting 340B to Patients Bowling has spent decades working in health care since starting her career as an emerg ..read more

This week we are joined by Amanda Sellers Smith, legal counsel for 340B Health. Amanda tracks and responds to 340B state legislative and regulatory actions. She discusses recent developments in state-based legislation, including 340B reporting requirements, nondiscrimination prohibitions, and bans on drugmaker restrictions. She also looks ahead to what hospitals and their government relations departments can expect in 2024. Before the interview, we give an update on a set of unprecedented changes to a major drugmaker’s restrictive contact pharmacy policy, and we share the news that four of the ..read more

340B compliance is essential to the integrity and success of the program, and data management across hospital departments is an essential element of compliance. By implementing data crosswalks, 340B hospitals can achieve greater program compliance and optimization. Anja Wilkinson, 340B program manager at St. Francis Health System in Tulsa, Okla., joins us to speak about best practices for 340B crosswalks and how interdepartmental coordination is key to maximizing the benefits of 340B. Before the interview, we give an update on the projected effects on the 340B program of the first 10 Medicare ..read more

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was enacted last year, and it includes a significant drug pricing component that will affect 340B savings on some of the drugs that cost the most for Medicare. In this episode, we are joined by Meetali Desai, director of pharmacy business services at UMass Memorial Medical Center, to discuss the impact of the IRA on 340B hospitals and health systems. Uncovering the Effects of the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA will result in unique changes to 340B hospitals and health systems. Meetali discusses how the changes will roll out, how the drug pricing component mi ..read more