Survey indicates that understanding 340B software configurations and lack of adequate resources are biggest
concerns for 340B program participants
EL PASO – March 14, 2017
PatientCraft today announced the results from a survey of stakeholders in the 340B Drug Pricing Program conducted at the 13th Annual 340B Coalition Winter Conference in San Francisco from February 1 – 3.
The 340B program provides discounts on pharmaceuticals to hospitals and health centers with underserved and underinsured patient populations. Participating hospitals and health centers, known as covered entities, are required to put in place certain measures to ensure that the patient, prescriber and drug comply with program requirements and to avoid duplicate discounts, where both a 340B discount and Medicaid rebate are applied to the same drug.
Upcoming Events
PatientCraft is proud to support various industry events that are focused on advancing education and training for the 340B community. Be sure to stop by and see us at one of these upcoming events!
340B Coalition Winter Conference
February 10-12, 2020
San Diego, CA
HIT Think: Why data will grow in importance for drug pricing
by Holly Russo, RN, MSN, MS, ECS, PatientCraft CEO
The 340B drug pricing program, enacted in 1992, provides discounts on outpatient drugs to safety-net providers (called 340B covered entities) who meet certain qualifications. Covered entities use the savings from the program to stretch scarce federal resources and invest in patient care. With new requirements around Medicaid managed care patients who are also 340B eligible, this a good time to make sure you understand how your 340B solution is managing important program compliance elements.
Many hospitals and health centers that participate in the 340B program would not be able to keep their doors open without the savings from 340B. While 340B program management does come with certain complexities, it is well worth the time and effort to work through them with your software vendor in order to capture eligible drug cost savings that you can use to expand care to your patients.
PatientCraft Announces Holly Russo as President and CEO
340B consulting firm sharpens focus on program optimization and advisory services
PatientCraft, a healthcare consulting firm specializing in 340B program optimization, audit readiness and compliance, today announced the addition of industry expert, Holly Russo, RN, MSN, MSECS, as its new president and CEO. With the appointment of Russo, the company is also moving its corporate office from Dallas to El Paso.
Accountable Care Organizations Should Partner with 340B Covered Entities
by Holly Russo, RN, MSN, MS, ECS, PatientCraft CEO
There is a great opportunity for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to take advantage of and partner with covered entities that are eligible for 340B drug pricing. Although there is a great deal of talk about ACOs, there is still much to be done to put all the pieces together; integrating systems, establishing data warehouses, and creating business intelligence rules to aid in data mining. With that said, some clarifications and changes came in the last week when the final rule was published which differs in seven areas from the proposed rule. The best news was that there were additional groups recognized to both be eligible to form and to participate in an ACO, which are federally qualified health care centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics.
The Future of Payment Policy
by Holly Russo, RN, MSN, MS, ECS, PatientCraft CEO
While healthcare policy has been a hot topic of late, one component is consistently overlooked: payment policy.While healthcare policy has been a hot topic of late, one component is consistently overlooked: payment policy.
Because this is a vital component to reform, I wanted to get some thoughts on the subject from an industry expert. I had the privilege to listen to Jack Wennberg, one of the fathers of assessing variation and its impact on costs and quality.
“If healthcare reform concentrates on four goals,” Wennberg said, “then the value of care will increase and growth in healthcare costs will decrease.” The goals are as follows: 1) promote organized healthcare delivery; 2) establish informed patient choice around tests, procedures, drugs, elective surgeries and end-of-life care; 3) improve the science of healthcare delivery; and 4) constrain undisciplined growth in spending and capacity.
GAO’s Flawed Analysis Paints Wrong 340B Picture
by Holly Russo, RN, MSN, MS, ECS, PatientCraft CEO
Last month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a critical report on the 340B program. GAO interviewed 61 stakeholders in the program about their ability to generate savings and distribute drugs. GAO also examined the adequacy of federal oversight of the program.
The main thrust of the report is that 340B needs better federal oversight, identifies areas of the program that need clarification and warrant discussion. But the government should not act upon the findings because the review was flawed and undermined by sampling bias and size.