Bipartisan
340B Inpatient Discount Bill Introduced in Senate
Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
introduced a bill on October 7
calling for the extension of the 340B program to
include inpatient drug purchases and the inclusion of critical
access hospitals (CAH) as “covered entities” under the program.
"The Safety Net Inpatient Drug Affordability Act" (S. 1840)
would require manufacturers that participate in the 340B program to
offer eligible hospitals the same discounts on the inpatient side
that they are already required
to provide on outpatient purchases. Also
included in the bill is a provision that would amend the Public
Health Service Act to add
CAHs to the list of covered
entities. CAHs are hospitals with less than 25 beds located
in remote rural areas that provide care to low-income and uninsured
patients. The bill is a companion
to H.R. 3547, bipartisan legislation introduced in the House of
Representatives by Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Bobby Rush (D-IL)
in July.
Text of S. 1840
Senator Thune's Press
Release