After 340B Hearing and New Bills Emerging; The Likely Path Forward By Ted Slafsky Despite its importance, the 340B drug discount program rarely ever goes under the Congressional spotlight.  In fact, until the June 4th House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing, there had not been a hearing specifically devoted to the […]

Momentum Continues in States on Contract Pharmacy Access While Lowball Tactics Persist and Have Some Impact, Many States March Forward By Ted Slafsky In last month’s column, I wrote about a reprehensible campaign by 340B opponents to tie this critically important drug discount program to the contentious issue of immigration. A dark money campaign started […]

The Mississippi Capitol Building in Jackson, MS Despite 340B Opponents’ Unprecedented Tactics, Many States Progress on Contract Pharmacy Protection Legislation By Ted Slafsky After over 30 years of working in Washington, D.C., I have become accustomed to the expression “politics ain’t beanbag.” The phrase, as the Christian Science Monitor explains, means “life is rough; get over […]

Key Takeaways from the SUSTAIN 340B Act and Things to Consider When Weighing In By Ted Slafsky (Part Two of a Two-Part Analysis) In February, the U.S. Senate bipartisan “Group of Six” released an eagerly anticipated discussion draft bill and a bill summary/request for more information on the most highly debated issues in the 340B […]

Key Takeaways from Senate Group of Six Draft 340B Bill By Ted Slafsky (Part One of a Two-Part Analysis) After reviewing comments from over 250 stakeholders, meeting with various interest groups and holding regular staff meetings, the U.S. Senate bipartisan “Group of Six” have released a highly anticipated discussion draft bill and a bill summary/request […]

Action on 340B Contract Pharmacies Turns to the States By Ted Slafsky As we approach the 16-month mark since we had pivotal arguments over the 340B contract pharmacy program in two federal appellate courts and Congress continues to offer no relief, a growing number of 340B providers are turning to state legislatures for help.  In […]

Hospitals Are Not the Only 340B Providers Under Scrutiny By Ted Slafsky Veteran 340B observers were surprised to see that Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has expanded his 340B investigation into community health centers. In September, Cassidy, a long-time critic of the program, launched an inquiry into hospital use of the 340B program. Cassidy cited front-page […]

Why the Genesis 340B Patient Definition Court Decision Could Resolve the Contract Pharmacy Impasse By Ted Slafsky In what legal experts describe as a landmark decision, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina ruled Nov. 3 that the plain wording of the 340B statute does not require a covered entity to have […]

Whether it is 340B Policy or Keeping the Lights On, House Chaos Underscores Senate’s Importance By Ted Slafsky According to our history lessons, George Washington told Thomas Jefferson that the Senate was created to serve as a saucer to “cool” the House’s hot cup of tea. There is still debate about whether this conversation ever […]

Could the States Resolve the Contract Pharmacy Impasse? By Ted Slafsky After a recent lull in the ongoing battle over whether drug manufacturers can continue to place restrictions on access to 340B discounts in the contract pharmacy setting, things are heating up at the state level. Recently, Louisiana and its bordering state to the north, […]