Children’s Hospitals, Other Centers Eligible for Rx Drug Discounts
On Monday, as many as 1,500 additional hospitals and medical centers became eligible for Medicaid's 340B program, which offers discounted brand-name drugs to facilities that serve low-income patients, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports.
Under the program, which was expanded by the federal health reform law, discounts apply only to outpatient drugs.
Eligible Facilities
Newly eligible facilities include children's hospitals, critical-access hospitals, free-standing cancer centers, rural referral centers and sole community hospitals.
Total enrollment for the 340B program will increase from about 14,000 facilities to almost 20,000 facilities, according to HHS.
Program Details
Participating facilities are expected to reduce spending on formulary drugs by an average of 20% to 50%.
To participate in the program, facilities must complete a three-day registration process and have their eligibility confirmed.
Required documents must be submitted by Sept. 27, and online enrollment ends on Sept. 30 (Pecquet, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 8/2).
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