The AAMC submitted comments on Aug. 23 in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule outlining its remedy to repay hospitals for the reimbursement cuts to drugs acquired under the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
The letter noted the AAMC’s strong support for the proposal to issue one-time lump sum payments to hospitals to make up the difference between what hospitals were paid (average sales price minus 22.5%) and what they should have been paid (average sales price plus 6%) for calendar years 2018 through 2021. The association also stated its support for the lump sum payments to include beneficiaries’ coinsurance that would have been collected on the higher reimbursement, had it been in effect.
However, the letter also noted the AAMC does not believe the CMS has the legal authority to implement the remedy in a budget-neutral manner.