Dr Neil Minkoff: 340B Changes Aren't Happening Anytime Soon in This Congress

There are changes and clarifications to definitions that are needed in the 340B program, but that won't likely happen anytime soon in this Congress. In the meantime, various stakeholders should take the time to educate one another on what the program means to them, said Neil Minkoff, MD, chief medical officer of EmpiraMed.

Transcript

What future changes do you expect to see for the 340B program?

In the next 18 months? Very little, if any. I mean I think that Congress is so overwhelmed right now with the Affordable Care Act, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), what's going to replace the AHCA that a prorgam like this is kind of being pushed aside. Now there was supposed to be new rules for 340B in Q1 of 2017, but as part of the new administration trying to reduce the number of rules and regulations that change is on hold. So HHS will eventually get back to it, but God only knows when that's going to happen to provide some of those clearer definitions.

Also, if Congress acts to change the way people are getting paid in healthcare or to make significant changes to the ACA, changing that and 340B pricing at the same time might just be too much. I might have to be more of a phased approach.

How does the 340B program mean different things to different stakeholders?

I think that 340B pricing is one of those situations where the different stakeholders really need to start educating each other. So the hospitals need to make it clear to the payers what the benefit is to the hospital and their patients and indigent care, and so on. The payers need to have a clearer understanding with their pharmacies and the manufacturers of how it affects them. And the manufacturers need to educate the payers about the potential for double discount and what is means to them.

So I think we're at a point now where the plans are kind of waking up to 340B, which has been a big reality for the providers and for the manufacturers for a long time. And so we're still in a period of a lot of education.