Lawmakers continue to urge HHS to restrict drug manufacturers from limiting 340B discounts.

‍A group of 28 senators have joined the dozens of House Representatives in an effort to stop even more drug manufacturers from pulling out of the 340B program. The letter, led by Senators Baldwin, Thune, Stabenow, Portman, Capito, and Cardin, comes in the wake of a similar letter by nearly 250 members of the House and another from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce leadership. To read more on the latest effort to protect 340B savings, click here.

• The recent letter from 28 senators can be found here.
• Previous letters from House members and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce leadership can be found here and here, respectively.  

The House has introduced a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through December 11th, which includes Medicare and Medicaid funding.

‍One of the many Medicare and Medicaid provisions is that the CR would clarify which drugs are used as medication-assisted treatment. These drugs will be covered by Medicaid as of October 1st and will continue to be eligible for rebates under Medicaid. To read the full CR, click here; to review a summary of the CR, click here.

In an effort to avoid the ‘Most Favored Nation’ executive order, drug manufacturing executives and the White House had neared an agreement, which quickly dissolved at the White House’s insistence of ‘Trump Cards.’

‍White House and the pharmaceutical industry had neared an agreement in which drug manufacturers would spend $150B to reduce out-of-pocket costs and Medicare drug co-pays. However, when the White House brought up a one-time, $100 cash card for millions of seniors, referred to by some as “Trump Cards,” the pharmaceutical industry backed out of the agreement. PhRMA representatives have stated they do not want to promote such a plan directly before the election, particularly where voters over 65 are a crucial population. To review the whole story, click here.

Upcoming: The House Oversight Committee announced there will be two days of hearings with top drug manufacturing executives next week. The hearings: “Unsustainable Drug Prices: Testimony from the CEOs” will be held on Wednesday, September 30th and Thursday, October 1st. To review the press release, click here.

‍