ASHP Disappointed in MedPAC Recommendation to Congress on 340B
ASHP announced today that it is extremely disappointed in the recommendation to Congress by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to cut Medicare payments to safety net hospitals by 10 percent for drugs purchased under the 340B drug discount program.
Press Release
ASHP announced today that it is extremely disappointed in the recommendation to Congress by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to cut Medicare payments to safety net hospitals by 10 percent for drugs purchased under the 340B drug discount program.
“ASHP is disappointed that MedPAC did not assess the negative impact this recommendation could have on the sickest and most vulnerable patients that are served by our nation’s safety net hospitals,” said Kasey K. Thompson, Pharm.D., M.S., M.B.A., ASHP vice president of policy, planning and communications.
Although the recommendation is nonbinding, ASHP is concerned that the proposed reduction in Medicare payments will negatively impact hospitals’ ability to provide care to uninsured and underinsured patients. MedPAC voted in favor of the recommendation to Congress as a cost-saving measure for the Medicare program. MedPAC is a nonpartisan legislative branch agency that provides Congress with analysis and policy advice on the Medicare program.
About ASHP
ASHP represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory settings. The organization’s more than 43,000 members include pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. For over 70 years, ASHP has been at the forefront of efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists advance healthcare, visit ASHP’s website, www.ashp.org, or its consumer website, www.SafeMedications.com.
