Us Congress House Bill HB8574

Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/28/24
• Refer: 5/28/24
• Refer: 5/31/24

Caption

340B ACCESS Act 340B Affording Care for Communities and Ensuring a Strong Safety-net Act

Impact

HB8574 seeks to bring significant changes to existing state laws concerning the eligibility criteria for hospitals in the 340B program. It stipulates that hospitals must demonstrate compliance with certain requirements, including maintaining contracts with state or local governments to provide care to uninsured individuals. Additionally, the bill expects to limit the fees that contract pharmacies can charge, thus promoting affordability and ensuring that the program serves its intended purpose of making medications more accessible to vulnerable populations.

Summary

House Bill 8574, or the '340B ACCESS Act', aims to amend the Public Health Service Act with the intent to reform the 340B drug pricing program. The bill introduces various provisions to enhance transparency and accountability among covered entities, including hospitals and pharmacies participating in this discount program. One of its notable features includes ensuring patient affordability for drugs purchased under the 340B program, coupled with oversight mechanisms to prevent Medicaid duplicate discounts and improper practices by pharmacies.

Contention

There are expected points of contention regarding the bill, particularly among stakeholders such as healthcare providers and pharmacy benefit managers. Critics may argue that the new requirements for transparency and the tighter regulations on contract pharmacies could make participation in the 340B program more complex and burdensome. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that the reforms are essential to protect against exploitation of the program and ensure that it effectively serves those in need. Overall, the bill is a significant step towards balancing regulatory oversight with the foundational goal of improving patient access to affordable medications.