A college of osteopathic medicine proposed by Indiana University of Pennsylvania has secured a $20 million commitment from its foundation, the largest gift toward the initiative to date. The medical school would be the first osteopathic school of medicine on a public university campus in Pennsylvania. The commitment brings to $23.7 million the amount raised so far for the college, almost a fourth of what is believed to be needed initially, according to the university. In addition, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, and U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Jefferson, have announced they are seeking $2 million in community project funds in the federal budget for fiscal year 2025. Public and private funds already directed to the project include $2 million in state government funds announced in January by Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana; $1 million from alumnus Rich Caruso in May 2023; $500,000 from IUP’s alumni association in December; and another $150,000 in the 2024 federal budget. Read more.

Two more manufacturers have announced contract pharmacy restrictions (CPRs) on Community Health Centers and a third has tightened them:

·    Alkermes – who makes Vivitrol, an SUD treatment drug that CHCs often prescribe – announced CPRs that will go into effect on July 22. Due to varying payor rules about whether Vivitrol must be dispensed by a regular pharmacy or contract pharmacy, it will soon be impossible for most CHCs to obtain all their Vivitrol at the 340B price.

·    Sobi announced CPRs effective July 1, but they should have little impact on CHCs.

·    Effective July 1, Bristol Meyers Squibb will require CHCs with a single, designated contract pharmacy site to report data to ESP on that site. This data must be reported within 14 days of the drug being dispensed and include 16 elements for each claim. CHC experts say that meeting these requirements will be an extremely heavy lift, and possibly impossible.

·    Sanofi’s policy of treating free-standing CHC-owned pharmacies like contract pharmacies appears to have been adopted by Alkermes, Bausch & Lomb, and Sobi. More information will be forthcoming, but we’re told that health centers should prepare for most of their free-standing pharmacies to lose access to 340B-priced Sanofi, Bausch & Lomb, and Sobi drugs starting July 1, and Alkermes drugs starting July 22.

The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024, HR 4581, passed through both the House and the Senate, and now awaits President Biden’s signature before it becomes law. The bipartisan bill amends the Maternal and Child Health Service Block Grant program to allow states to use those dollars for stillbirth prevention and research activities but does not include additional funding.

Senators Whitehouse and Cassidy introduced S. 4338, the Pay PCPs Act. The Pay PCPs Act would encourage the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to accelerate its existing efforts to support value-based primary care and improve the adequacy of pay for primary care providers in Medicare. This legislation serves as a marker for future primary care legislation and includes a request for information on hybrid payments for primary care providers, risk adjustment criteria, quality measures and services to be included in hybrid models, cost sharing and technical advisory committees. Please send any feedback on the RFI questions to federalpolicy@nachc.org by June 28.

State officials are taking another crack at finalizing proposed rules that would make it easier for Pennsylvania residents with criminal records to earn professional licenses in fields ranging from accounting and nursing to cosmetology and real estate. The PA Department of State (DOS), which oversees professional licensure, issued a revised version of the rules this month after an earlier draft was rejected in April by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC). IRRC questioned whether the rules adequately protect public health and safety and was concerned, in part, that certain crimes were not listed as being “directly related” to certain professions, thus triggering a closer look from licensing boards. The rules, for example, did not make prior convictions for forgery or identity theft an automatic impediment for people seeking to become state-licensed CPAs. In its latest version, DOS added stronger language emphasizing that licensing boards have a responsibility to consider individual applications for licensure. The language also clarifies that boards can still consider offenses as part of a licensing decision even if they are not listed as “directly related.” The IRRC met this week and approved the updated version. The rules implement Act 53 of 2020, a state law enacted in 2020.

CMS posted updated FAQs on the Hospital Price Transparency website with additional information to help hospitals understand and meet new compliance requirements taking effect on July 1, 2024.

The FAQs also provide additional information for hospitals, consumers, and other stakeholders.