340B omnibus guidance withdrawn

The administration yesterday withdrew the Health Resources and Services Administration’s pending omnibus guidance for the 340B Drug Pricing Program. “We are pleased that the Administration chose not to finalize the Health Resources and Services Administration’s guidance, which, if enacted would have jeopardized hospitals’ ability to serve vulnerable populations, including low-income and uninsured individuals and patients receiving cancer treatments,” said AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels. AHA previously expressed strong concerns regarding HRSA’s proposed policy changes, stating that re-defining 340B patient eligibility would have narrowed inappropriately the number of drugs that qualify for 340B pricing and threatened access to care for patients who need it the most. In addition, AHA objected to HRSA’s proposals regarding infusion services, and urged that patients receiving infusion services provided at 340B hospitals or their outpatient sites be allowed to continue to qualify for 340B drug discount pricing.