by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS
As we head into the last week of May, I’ve heard a lot of “I’ve never seen anything like this before” both in and outside of the health care space. See below for the latest:
340B Protections and Prescription Drug Price Cap: The House passed an amended version of H.266 that includes a price cap on prescription drugs administered in an outpatient setting in addition to 340B protections. The price cap is set to go into effect on July 1st with a cap of 130% of the average sales price. On January 1st, the cap is reduced to 120% of the average sales price. VAHHS testified on the potential impact of the prescription drug cap to hospitals. The House Health Care Committee added language that would allow hospitals to propose rate increases to other service lines through the Green Mountain Care Board’s hospital budget process to offset the cuts from the cap. With drug cap implementation hitting hospitals in July, however, hospitals would have to make operational changes to meet the cap prior to their budget orders in October. The Green Mountain Care Board testified that hospitals could absorb these cuts.
Health Care Reform: S.126, the health care reform bill that includes reference-based pricing and a 2.5% reduction in operating costs for hospitals, is going to conference committee. The main difference between the bills is the prioritization of global hospital budgets.
Expansion of Green Mountain Care Board Powers: The House concurred with the Senate’s version of H.482, which clarifies that a reduction of hospital reimbursement to address Blue Cross Blue Shield’s financial condition is not considered a contested case under the Vermont Administrative Procedures Act but that hospitals may request that the Green Mountain Care Board reconsider the action.
Workplace Violence Prevention: In a continued commitment to addressing workplace violence prevention, the House Health Care Committee heard testimony from Lisa Plucker, a nurse supervisor at the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital and the Department of Mental Health. The discussion touched on staffing, training, and delays in medication.
To support vital journalism, access our archives and get unique features like our award-winning profiles, Book of Lists & Business-to-Business Directory, subscribe HERE!
