American Hospital Association Archives

Hospitals Push Back Against HHS Slashing of Reimbursement Rates

Hospitals are pushing back after the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut Medicaid reimbursement rates to participating hospitals under the 340B drug discount program.

According to this article published in The Well News, 340B program supporters have filed a petition with the Supreme Court, arguing that HHS failed to collect sufficient data and that the department overstepped its authority with the cuts. McDermott Partner Emily Jane Cook said that the cuts will mean rural hospitals are “deprived of an important source of support for the services that they provide to their communities.”

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Court Issues Permanent Injunction Blocking Medicare 340B Payment Cuts

The US District Court for the District of Columbia recently held that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) exceeded its authority by reducing Medicare payment rates for 340B drugs, but, because of the budget-neutral nature of the cuts, the court left implementation details of its order temporarily unresolved to avoid disrupting administration of the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System. It remains to be seen what remedies the court will ultimately order and whether CMS will appeal the decision.

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