It has certainly been a year of ups and downs for 340B hospitals. While litigation continues in the manufacturer 340B price restriction space, and 340B hospitals continue to experience financial, legal and operational...more
On Friday, July 15th, CMS published its CY 2023 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed Rule (Proposed Rule) and gave 340B covered entities a glimpse into how the agency intends to react to...more
7/19/2022
/ American Hospital Association et al v Becerra Secretary Of Health And Human Services et al ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Remedies ,
Section 340B
Wednesday, the United States Supreme Court handed down a highly anticipated, unanimous opinion, AHA v. Becerra, confirming that CMS exceeded its statutory authority when it implemented a discriminatory reimbursement structure...more
6/17/2022
/ American Hospital Association ,
American Hospital Association et al v Becerra Secretary Of Health And Human Services et al ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Lack of Authority ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 340B ,
Statutory Authority
The end of 2021 brings positive indications of the continued acceptance of telehealth as an important clinical care approach post public health emergency (“PHE”). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), like...more
2/22/2022
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Payor Contracts ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Section 340B ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
Telehealth
The Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services Issues New Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule -
On September 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Medicare...more
12/31/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cramdown ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Physician Medicare Reimbursements ,
Section 340B ,
Telehealth ,
Value-Based Care
There are initial indications that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which administers the federal 340B drug pricing program, may allow hospitals to begin using 340B drugs at offsite locations (“Child...more
Late last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the CY 2020 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (“OPPS”) final rule [CMS-1717-FC]. While many hospitals had hoped for relief from recent...more
11/6/2019
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coding ,
Drug Pricing ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Payment Reform ,
Off-Campus Departments ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Outpatient Services ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Price Transparency ,
Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Section 340B
Polsinelli is pleased to share the Health Care Reimbursement and Payor Dispute Update. This newsletter is a designated source of news, information and guidance on the constantly evolving reimbursement industry.
...more
11/1/2019
/ Administrative Appeals ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Contract Disputes ,
Enrollment ,
Health Care Providers ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Medicare ,
Payor Contracts ,
Revocation ,
Site-Neutral Exception ,
Universal Health Services Inc v United States ex rel Escobar
On July 29, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the CY 2020 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment Systems (“OPPS”) proposed rule [CMS-1717-P]. ...more
8/6/2019
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Drug Pricing ,
General Authorization ,
Health Care Providers ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Section 340B ,
Two-Midnight Rule
This past week, CMS confirmed it will continue the 2018 and 2019 underpayment policy for certain 340B covered entities unless the D.C. Court of Appeals upholds the lower court’s ruling that it is unlawful. In that case, CMS...more
8/6/2019
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
MACs ,
Medicare Payment Reform ,
Payment Rates ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Remedies ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Section 340B ,
Underpayment
In this issue, Polsinelli’s 340B and Reimbursement teams provide an update on the most recent developments in the ongoing 340B /Part B Payment litigation and also highlight recent Government Accountability Office (“GAO”)...more
5/16/2019
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Drug Pricing ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
HRSA ,
Medicaid ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Provider Payments ,
Section 340B
A federal district court granted a permanent injunction against the Medicare Part B 2018 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (“OPPS”) payment cuts for separately payable, non-pass through drugs purchased through the 340B...more
1/7/2019
/ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B
On Wednesday July 25, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an advance copy of the CY 2019 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. ...more
Hospitals with off-campus provider-based departments (“PBDs”) under construction (or “mid-build”) at the time of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 – which limited Medicare payment to off-campus provider-based departments that...more
Significant Medicare Part B reimbursement rate cuts and burdensome claim modifiers apply to certain drugs purchased by hospitals through the 340B drug discount program effective on Jan. 1, 2018 after a federal judge declined...more
Hospitals with dangerously low inpatient volume and micro hospitals focused primarily on the delivery of outpatient and/or emergency room services instead of inpatient services beware: CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid...more
In its Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule ("Proposed Rule"), CMS outlined a significant Medicare Part B payment reduction for separately payable, nonpassthrough drugs provided in the hospital outpatient...more
8/16/2017
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Covered Entities ,
Drug Pricing ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reimbursements ,
Section 340B
The Health Resources and Services Administration recently surprised the 340B Drug Pricing Program community with the release of its regulations pertaining to drug manufacturer ceiling price calculations and civil monetary...more
1/25/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Covered Entities ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
HRSA ,
Manufacturers ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Freeze ,
Section 340B ,
Trump Administration
As part of the CY 2017 proposed Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rules (OPPS) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the long awaited proposed payment changes for items and services...more
On Wednesday, members of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee introduced bipartisan legislation that would provide some welcome relief to hospitals who had already invested resources to develop new provider-based...more
On March 15, 2016, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its latest report to Congress that included 340B Implications for Medicare Part B Drugs along with a quick fact sheet regarding the report. Key...more
Late last year, Congress made sweeping changes to Medicare provider-based reimbursement that virtually shut down any future off-campus, provider-based site developments. Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA)...more
Without fanfare or any significant discussion, the Bipartisan Budget Act (Act) contains the first legislative action related to provider-based status—and it is a sweeping action with negative financial consequences to many...more
11/2/2015
/ Bipartisan Agreement ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Medicare ,
MedPAC ,
Obama Administration ,
OIG ,
OPPS ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B
On Wednesday, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued its highly anticipated opinion regarding the 340B orphan drug litigation. The Court ruled in favor of PhRMA, a trade association that...more
10/20/2015
/ Biopharmaceutical ,
Covered Entities ,
GPOs ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
HRSA ,
Orphan Drugs ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
PHRMA ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Section 340B ,
Summary Judgment
The Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) released an advanced copy of its long-awaited proposed 340B Omnibus Guidance (“Guidance”) today. The document can be found here. Polsinelli is currently reviewing the...more