Our news-laden summer is ending. Time to pack away your bathing suit, send the kids back to school, and cherish these curated curiosities that I combed from the Drug Channels coastline: Aetna’s latest white bagging plan: Saving money or shifting costs? 340B covered entities are still not sharing discounts with needy patients PBM-affiliated private label biosimilars and their pricing double standard UnitedHealth Group’s 2,694 subsidiaries: too big to manage? P.S. Join my nearly 65,000 Link...| Drug Channels
The Health Resources and Services Administration has announced a pilot program with changes to the 340B Drug Pricing Program. ... READ MORE >| The Real Economy Blog
After multiple years of mandated disclosure of negotiated hospital-insurer rates, those of us who follow the buy-and-bill channel might have expected transparency to reduce drug price variability, lower hospital markups, and accelerate adoption of lower-cost biosimilars. Alas, that’s not what the latest data reveal. DCI’s analysis of four national commercial insurers—Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare—and 26 hospitals found that: Hospitals still earn significant markups over a...| Drug Channels
The 340B Drug Discount Program was created in 1992 to help federally funded clinics and public hospitals that serve a large uninsured population cover the cost of drugs and provide discounts to patients. But the lack of guardrails on the program and failure to define a patient has led to it being abused by hospitals […]| Citizens Against Government Waste
The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program was intended to provide discounts on drugs to patients but the lack of a clear intent and patient definition, along with| Citizens Against Government Waste
Let’s cut through the steamy summer haze with a refreshing breeze of industry insights from Drug Channels—perfect for pondering while you float in your favorite pool: 340B Discounts Still Not Reaching Needy Patients Why do patients switch from biosimilars back to Humira? Copay accumulator programs strike again! The Grim Outlook for Retail Pharmacies Plus, a shout-out to three talented journalists. P.S. Want more real-time insights? Join my more than 64,000 LinkedIn followers for daily lin...| Drug Channels
Happy 249th birthday, America! Before you launch your July 4 festivities, Drug Channels humbly offers some fact-based fireworks to heal our troubled nation: Where the Rebates Really Go Another Year of Explosive Growth for the 340B Program IRA Fallout for Seniors’ Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs Most-Favored-Nation Pricing’s Shaky Legal Foundations Plus, Mark Cuban's blunt take on why CEOs fuel the PBM status quo. P.S. Join my nearly 64,000 LinkedIn followers for daily links to neat stuff, along ...| Drug Channels
The 340B Drug Pricing Program has emerged as a growing source of profits for pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Drug Channels Institute’s latest exclusive analysis of the 2025 market reveals a highly concentrated market structure increasingly dominated by a handful of major players: About 32,000 pharmacy locations—nearly 60% of the entire U.S. pharmacy industry—function as contract pharmacies for the hospitals and federal grantees that participate in the 340B program. The ...| Drug Channels
On January 20, a new administration began addressing our nation’s pressing problems, including health care costs. Drug costs are unaffordable for many, especially those in small communities with limited access to medical care. Working-class families understandably feel powerless against big, profit-hungry pharmaceutical corporations. They are often forced to decide between taking needed medications or paying […]| The Hayride
In their ongoing quest to lower prescription drug prices, some states are forcing drugmakers to continue to sell cheaper medications to thousands of pharmacies through a federal drug-discount program.| Stateline
MHA staff attended the Regional 340B Roundtable Aug. 7 in Florence, IN to join colleagues from the Indiana Hospital Association, Ohio Hospital Association, Kentucky Hospital Association and endorsed business partner, SunRx, to share best practices for successful 340B administration and advocacy. Nearly 200 340B experts gathered from the four states…| MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association
Weekly news and updates from the MHA.| MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association