A letter circulating in the Senate asks the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to withdraw its proposed 27 percent cut to Medicare Part B drug reimbursement to hospitals that participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
The harmful payment reduction was included in the 2018 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule, which CMS is expected to finalize this fall.
The letter is led by Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Rob Portman (R-OH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Bill Nelson (D-FL). Please urge your senators to sign this letter to prevent the 340B cuts. So far, these 16 senators have signed the letter:
- Tammy Baldwin (D-WI);
- Richard Blumenthal (D-CT);
- Sherrod Brown (D-OH);
- Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV);
- Dick Durbin (D-IL);
- Cory Gardner (R-CO);
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY);
- John Hoeven (R-ND);
- Claire McCaskill (D-MO);
- Patty Murray (D-WA);
- Bill Nelson (D-FL);
- Rob Portman (R-OH);
- Debbie Stabenow (D-MI);
- John Tester (D-MT);
- John Thune (R-SD); and
- Roger Wicker (R-MS).
House lawmakers last week circulated a similar letter discouraging the cuts. The House letter included 228 signers.
For background information on the proposed OPPS rule and associated 340B cuts, please refer your senators and their staff to our updated 340B Our View.
