Senate Health & Welfare reviews H.266 to limit manufacturer interference with 340B access and require hospital reporting to Green Mountain Care Board

The Senate Health & Welfare Committee reviewed H.266 on April 23, a bill that would add a new subchapter to Title 18, Chapter 91 addressing prescription drug cost and payment and that would restrict actions by manufacturers that interfere with 340B program access, committee discussion shows.

Charles Becker, staff attorney with the Office of the Health Care Advocate, urged changes to the bill’s reporting provisions and to the language describing hospitals’ use of 340B proceeds. Becker told the committee the advocate’s office asked for reporting to be submitted “in a form and manner prescribed by the Green Mountain Care Board” and recommended replacing the word “savings” with “revenue” throughout the reporting section.

Nut graf: H.266 would prohibit manufacturers or their agents from denying or restricting the acquisition or delivery of 340B drugs to contract pharmacies acting on behalf of 340B covered entities, would require hospitals that participate in the 340B program to file annual reports to the Green Mountain Care Board on program participation and financial flows, and would create a civil enforcement mechanism for covered parties harmed by prohibited conduct.

Committee staff summarized the bill’s key provisions: it would bar a…