The focus of attention on cancer care most often goes to the curative treatments required to put cancer into remission, but what do cancer survivors need after that point to fully recover and lead their best possible lives? We discuss that question and how 340B can help answer it with guests Sarah Loschiavo and Ellen Morris-White, two nurse practitioners with UConn Health based in Farmington, Conn. Survivorship Care at a Crucial Time UConn Health’s Cancer Survivorship Program is led by...

The 340B drug pricing program is crucial for safety-net hospitals and other providers that care for patients in need, especially those whom traditionally have been underserved by the broader health system. We speak with Dr. Tony Jackson, assistant vice president for pharmacy services at Scripps Health in San Diego, for his views on why 340B is “all about health equity.” 340B Helps Serve the Underserved Jackson stresses the variety of services and support that 340B funding enables at Scripps...

Within the past few weeks, drugmaker Johnson & Johnson went head-to-head with 340B hospitals and the federal government over the company’s plan to stop paying upfront 340B discounts on two of its top-selling drugs. 340B Health Senior Counsel Amanda Nagrotsky joins us to explain how that conflict played out. HRSA Warns Johnson & Johnson of Strong Punitive Actions In letters to J&J, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) warned the drugmaker that replacing 340B...

A renewed push by a drugmaker to fundamentally transform 340B has the potential to cause major problems for 340B hospitals if allowed to take effect. 340B Health President and CEO Maureen Testoni joins us to explain the controversial 340B rebate issue and to cover some of the other recent developments in the 340B world.   A Plan To Replace Upfront Discounts With Rebates   For years, drugmakers have been pushing unsuccessfully for approval to turn 340B from an upfront discount program into a...

The 340B drug pricing program is designed to give hospitals the flexibility to use their savings toward the types of patient care and support that their communities need the most. How does that work for hospitals that decide to use their access to 340B to provide the discounts directly to patients who cannot afford their drugs? Paul Orth, 340B program manager at University Health Kansas City Truman Medical Center, sits down with us to discuss how his health system’s direct drug savings...

This marks the time of year when 340B hospitals complete the recertification process to maintain their eligibility for 340B. But why is this recertification needed, and what do hospitals need to know before undergoing recertification?  Steven Miller, the vice president of pharmacy services for 340B Health, describes what is at stake when it comes to hospitals completing recertification every year. Failure to do so could take a hospital months to correct and cost it millions of dollars –...

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic in 2024. Discussions about AI in health care continue to grow, including about the potential for such technology to improve care and save lives. What role might AI play in the 340B world? We speak with WVU Medicine Enterprise 340B Program Coordinator Elizabeth Gibson to learn how one health system is exploring this potential. What Can a 340B “Bot” Do? Gibson’s team uses artificial intelligence to improve its 340B internal auditing processes. What they...

We have released several episodes in recent months in which we have discussed federal and state legislative efforts on 340B. But what does it take to get 340B protections through a state legislature and to the governor’s desk? In this episode, we speak with Ryan Cross, vice president of governmental affairs with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, based in Baton Rouge, La. This system operates 10 hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi. Both states recently enacted contract...

While significant 340B actions have happened at the federal level, state legislatures also have made big moves in the world of 340B so far this year. We are joined by Amanda Sellers Smith, 340B Health’s legal counsel, to explain more. More states ban drug company restrictions on 340B contract pharmacies Following the lead of Arkansas and Louisiana, five additional states have enacted contract pharmacy protection laws so far this year. Some states enacted standalone contract pharmacy laws,...

The world of 340B has seen significant developments on the state and national levels in recent months. A second federal appeals court decision on 340B contract pharmacies came down in recent weeks, a new bill in Congress threatens to impose significant restrictions on hospital participation in 340B program, and more states move to protect covered entities from drugmaker restrictions. To understand these new developments, 340B Health President and CEO Maureen Testoni joins us to explain...

The finalized 340B administrative dispute resolution (ADR) rule is set to go into effect on June 18 and will create a process to settle certain disputes between covered entities and drug manufacturers. But what should covered entities know about this process before it launches? Jason Reddish, a 340B expert with the Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville health care practice group, joins us to discuss. How the ADR is intended to work Jason notes that the ADR will use a panel of government...

Hospitals throughout the U.S. use their 340B savings in innovative ways to care for their patients in need. In some cases, they can take that care outside the walls of the hospital to meet patients where they learn, live, and play. We speak with Heather Armstrong with Comanche County Medical Center in central Texas to tell us how her health system invests 340B savings into innovative approaches to community care. Improving student health on campus Since the end of 2022, Comanche County...

340B savings can help hospitals and other covered entities better serve patients and improve their health outcomes. But how can these entities make the best use of 340B funds for their institutions? We sat down with Matt Webber, director of pharmacy business at Novant Health based in North Carolina, to learn more. 340B optimization strategies One way that Novant Health optimized its 340B program was through a multidisciplinary team that includes data analysts and auditors. Matt says that...

The 340B community has seen major activity on several fronts since the start of 2024 – the introduction of new legislation on Capitol Hill, movement on legislation in the states, and key developments in the courts. 340B Health President and CEO Maureen Testoni returns to the show to help us make sense of these developments and how they might affect stakeholders. Federal bills could help covered entities but also limit 340B’s scope One new bill introduced in the House of Representatives would...

One of the most important elements of 340B compliance is preventing duplicate discounts. Ensuring there are no duplicate discounts is high on the list of compliance concerns for covered entities, and it is one of the major items that 340B auditors look for. But how do these entities ensure they stay compliant? On this episode, we speak to Melissa Bruce, an ACE-certified compliance analyst for the 340B Programs Team at UNC Health in North Carolina, to learn more.  Compliance factors can vary...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Centralized distribution models can help health systems streamline day-to-day operations, including mitigating drug shortages, and maximizing contract compliance and efficiency. Jake Olson, 340B pharmacy manager at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, joins us to discuss how centralized distribution models have operationalized Froedtert’s 340B program.   Mitigating Drug Shortages Inventory optimizing helps ensure organizations meet their resource demands. Jake...