The House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a June 4 hearing entitled, “Oversight of the 340B Drug Pricing Program.” During the hearing, several Republicans, including full committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), raised concerns about a lack of program transparency, asserting that certain covered entities have “taken advantage” of the 340B program, causing it to stray from Congress’ original intent. Democrats highlighted how covered entities in their district use their savings to support access to care for low-income and historically under-resourced patients.
During the hearing, Reps. Larry Bucshon, MD (R-Ind.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) highlighted legislation they recently introduced, the 340B ACCESS Act (H.R. 8574), which would dramatically restrict hospitals’ participation in the program, significantly narrow the types of patients who would qualify for 340B drugs, limit the use of child sites and contract pharmacies, and introduce new transparency and reporting requirements for 340B hospitals. In a key exchange, Carter asked Matthew Perry, MBA, CEO of Genesis Healthcare System, whether he is opposed to the legislation’s transparency measures. In his response, Perry stated, “I’m certainly not opposed to transparency. I’m opposed to transparency that cherry picks the type of information that completely distorts the way 340B is designed.”