On September 30, 2021, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury (the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), released an interim final rule with comment period (IFC)...more
On September 10, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $25.5 billion in new funding that will be made available to health care providers to reimburse health care related expenses and revenue losses...more
On July 1, 2021, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury (the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), released an interim final rule with comment period (IFC)...more
On May 17, 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) sent letters to six drug manufacturers notifying them that their actions placing restrictions on access to 340B-discounted drug prices by health care...more
On Friday, June 11, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the deadlines by when health care providers must use COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments and submit reports to HHS on use of...more
On April 13, 2021, four key lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expressing concern over reports of non-compliance with hospital price transparency...more
Medicare providers and suppliers that received Medicare loans to address cash flow issues stemming from the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) may start seeing a reduction in Medicare reimbursement as Medicare begins to...more
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion package to provide relief related to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The final legislation, which passed with support from...more
3/22/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
CARES Act ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Grants ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Public Health ,
Relief Measures ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Vaccinations
On December 21, 2020, the House and Senate passed fiscal year (FY) 2021 federal omnibus appropriations legislation that included the fifth measure passed by Congress to address the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to providing...more
12/28/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures
On November 20, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule with comment period (IFC) to implement a payment model that will significantly reduce Medicare reimbursement rates for...more
12/1/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Manufacturers ,
Medicare ,
Payment Methods ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reimbursements
On September 19, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released detailed guidance outlining reporting requirements for health care providers that receive payments from the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund...more
Members of Congress of both parties are requesting that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) take action to ensure that providers participating in the 340B drug pricing program can continue to receive discounted...more
In an effort to provide beneficiaries with an increased choice of care and in another nod toward CMS' policy of increasing choice and its site neutrality initiative, CMS has proposed the elimination of the Inpatient Only...more
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has issued guidance eliminating a longstanding enforcement position that delayed the ability of hospitals participating in the 340B drug pricing program to use...more
On June 9, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional payments under the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund to reimburse providers for health care related expenses and revenue losses attributable...more
On May 1, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional payments under the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund to reimburse providers for health care related expenses and revenue losses attributable...more
5/15/2020
/ Attestation Requirements ,
CARES Act ,
Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Eligibility ,
Funding Portal ,
Guidance Update ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
MACPAC ,
Overpayment ,
Provider Relief Fund ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Rural Health Care Providers
On April 23, 2020, the House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which previously passed the Senate on April 21, 2020, and is expected to be signed into law by the...more
4/26/2020
/ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Community Health Systems ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dentists ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Indian Health Service (IHS) ,
Manufacturers ,
Medical Research ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act ,
Popular ,
Relief Measures ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Small Business Loans ,
Uninsured Patients ,
Virus Testing
Health care providers are beginning to receive payments from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address expenses and revenue losses related to coronavirus (COVID-19). On April 10, 2020, HHS announced the...more
Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have now passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and the President is expected to sign the bill into law shortly. The CARES Act appropriates...more
3/27/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Research ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
SAMHSA ,
Substance Abuse
The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) has created a COVID-19 Resources page on its website providing information for 340B drug pricing program stakeholders. In particular,...more
3/25/2020
/ Audits ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Entities ,
Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) ,
Health Care Providers ,
HRSA ,
New Guidance ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Section 340B ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
On January 30, 2020, CMS issued long-awaited guidance to states regarding the opportunity to access Medicaid funding through block grants or per-capita caps....more
As part of a government spending package enacted in late December, Congress approved government funding through the end of FY20 (September 30, 2020)....more
Four separate government releases coming over a three-week period have once again highlighted the intense interest in the 340B drug pricing program, with a federal agency and two government watchdog groups issuing guidance...more
1/30/2020
/ Audits ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Discounts ,
Drug Pricing ,
GAO ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
HRSA ,
Information Reports ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
MedPAC ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Profit Hospitals ,
Pay Reductions ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Provider Payments ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Section 340B ,
State and Local Government
On May 3, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a draft of long-awaited guidance for hospitals on how they can share space, services and staff with other co-located hospitals and health care...more
Two recent announcements by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) highlight the agency's plans for increased oversight in the next year of drug manufacturers under the 340B drug pricing program and...more
12/13/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
HRSA ,
Manufacturer Liability ,
Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System (OPAIS) ,
OIG ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Section 340B