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Altru Health System presents 340B memorandum of understanding to Devils Lake commission
Summary
The Devils Lake City Commission on March 16 unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Altru Health System to document the hospital's commitment to serve underinsured and indigent patients under the 340B drug pricing program, Altru's corporate counsel said.
The Devils Lake City Commission unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Altru Health System on March 16 to formalize the hospital's commitment to serve underinsured and indigent patients under the 340B drug pricing program, Britney Blake, Altru's corporate counsel, told the commission.
Blake told the commission the memorandum is meant to show Altru's commitment "to not only serving patients within the community, but specifically under insured or, uninsured or indigent patients that don't meet the MedicareMedicareMedicaid criteria," and to ensure compliance with the 340B drug pricing program. She said the program requires drug manufacturers to offer discounted pricing for eligible providers and stressed that the MOU "has nothing to do with tax dollars." The city attorney reviewed the MOU and reported no concerns.
Why it matters: The 340B drug pricing program can lower medication costs for eligible safety-net providers; a signed MOU signals Altru's formal intent to serve patients the city flagged during prior discussions about access to care.
At the meeting, the mayor asked for a motion to approve the MOU; a commissioner moved, another seconded, and the commission approved the item by voice vote. The MOU referenced action the city previously took with Mercy Hospital in 2010 as a similar arrangement.
The commission did not attach additional conditions to the memorandum. Blake offered to answer further questions about how the 340B program operates and said she would follow up with staff if the commission had technical questions.
The commission carried the motion without recorded dissent. The city's clerk will finalize the MOU for the official record and include it with the municipal agenda packet available on the city website.
