Helping Patients Afford Medications Using the 340B Program and Other Tools
Health centers manage the health of their patients, including by prescribing drugs or helping patients fill prescriptions. Too often, patients encounter affordability issues at the pharmacy counter, whether because they are uninsured or have a high cost-sharing obligation. Though health centers might want to deploy resources to help their patients obtain their prescribed medication, state and federal fraud and abuse laws including the antikickback statute and patient inducement civil monetary penalty can create risk for well-intentioned actions. In addition, health centers are required to ensure that low-income patients who are uninsured or who have substantial cost-sharing obligations receive injectable epinephrine and insulin at discounted prices. HRSA has also announced that the 340B discount for some commonly-prescribed drugs will only be available as a rebate in 2027, further complicating health centers’ ability to provide point-of-sale discounts to patients.
This session describes the challenges inherent in helping patients afford their medication and discusses strategies for complying with Notice of Award terms and assisting patients without triggering compliance risks.
Pharmacy Managers
Risk Managers
Compliance Officers
COOs
CEOs
CFOs
Executive Leadership
Identify the potential risks of providing patients with financial assistance outside of a structured policy, including under the rebate model that will begin in 2027.
Compare strategies for providing patient assistance.
Implement an insulin/injectable epinephrine policy that complies with Notice of Award requirements.
Jason Reddish
Joella Roland
Principal
Jason has focused primarily on the 340B Program for the past 13-plus years, representing community health centers, Ryan White HIV/AIDS clinics, and STD program grantees primarily for the past 8 years. His time is split nearly evenly among transactions, compliance, remedial action, and advocacy for covered entity protections at the state and federal level.
Counsel
Joella Roland provides broad-based health care guidance with a focus on the federal 340B drug discount program, privacy, and Medicare regulation. She understands the complexities that exist within the current regulatory environment and best practices for helping clients navigate it.
This is a 60-minute webinar session.
The session was recorded and is available on-demand.
