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President Trump Signs Executive Orders that Enable Access to Affordable Meds

Client Alert

On Friday, July 24, 2020, President Trump signed four Executive Orders concerning prescription drug pricing which collectively direct the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take the following actions:

1. Increase Patient Access to Insulin and Injectable Epinephrine

The first Executive Order, “Access to Affordable Life-saving Medications,” directs HHS to condition future federal grants available to Federally Qualified Health Centers (“FQHCs”) under the Public Health Service Act on the FQHCs having established practices which make insulin and injectable epinephrine available for discounted prices to patients who:

  1. Have a high cost sharing requirement for these drugs;
  2. Have a high, unsatisfied deductible; or
  3. Have no health care insurance.

The intent of the Executive Order is to enable Americans who may otherwise struggle to afford these necessary medications access to them at a much lower price — comparable to what FQHCs pay through the 340B Drug Pricing Program. In other words, FQHCs would be required to pass their 304B savings onto medically underserved patients.

2. Facilitate the Importation of Certain Prescription Drugs

The President’s Executive Order, “Increasing Drug Importation to Lower Prices for American Patients,” aims at expanding access to low-cost imported drugs by directing HHS to:
(1) facilitate waivers relative to the prohibition of importation of prescription drugs,
(2) authorize reimportation as “required emergency medical care,” and (3) finalize a rule to allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada.

The Executive Order builds on the Safe Importation Action Plan issued by HHS and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year, which provided two pathways to providing safe, lower cost drugs to American consumers. Under the new Executive Order, individual waivers to import drugs are permitted as long as the importation does not pose a risk to public safety.

3. Remove the Anti-Kickback Safe Harbor Protection for Prescription Rebates

President Trump’s third Executive Order, “Lowering Prices for Patients by Eliminating Kickbacks to Middlemen,” directs HHS to finalize its rule: “Removal of Safe Harbor Protection for Rebates Involving Prescription Pharmaceuticals and Certain Pharmacy Benefit Manager Service Fees,” commonly referred to as the “Rebate Rule.”

As it stands, prices that patients pay at the point-of-sale are oftentimes significantly higher than the prices that insurance companies, or the “middlemen” hired by insurance companies, actually pay for the drugs. This leads to those middlemen receiving large “rebate” checks which are, in essence, kickbacks for the heightened prices paid by Medicare patients.

In finalizing the Rebate Rule, HHS would:

  1. exclude from the safe harbor protections of the Anti-Kickback Statute certain reductions in price that are not applied at the point-of-sale or other remuneration that drug manufacturers provide to health plan sponsors, pharmacies, or PBMs in operating the Medicare Part D program; and
  2. establish new safe harbors that would permit health plan sponsors, pharmacies, and PBMs to apply discounts at the patient’s point-of-sale in order to lower the patient’s out-of-pocket costs, and that would permit the use of certain bona fide PBM service fees.

If finalized, the Rebate Rule would have the effect of collectively saving Medicare patients billions of dollars on prescription drugs.

4. Implement the “Most Favored Nation” Order to Lower Medicare Part B Drug Cost

In issuing the above Executive Orders, President Trump also announced another initiative — the “Most Favored Nation” order — which builds on his International Pricing Index (IPI) model to ensure lower cost Medicare Part B drugs that would set United States pricing at rates comparable to countries similarly situated economically.

Under the IPI model, the United States federal government would pay certain vendors directly for Medicare Part B drugs and certain physicians and hospitals administration fees for distribution.

To date, the IPI model has not been put into effect; however, President Trump indicated his intent to implement the Executive Order in late-August 2020.

The collective effect of the four Executive Orders issued by President Trump last week serves to make access to affordable medications for Americans, particularly vulnerable populations, a public health priority.

As a practical matter, however, the power of the Executive Order is limited — making the functional impact of the new directives dependent on how quickly HHS moves through the formal rule-making process.

As a result, the time frame in which the healthcare industry can expect to see systematic changes from the President’s Orders remains uncertain. In the meantime, healthcare entities should keep a watchful eye for new guidance from HHS.

Please contact BMD Health Law Attorney Jeana Singleton (jmsingleton@bmdllc.com) for questions regarding the new Executive Orders and their practical effect, or for any other healthcare questions.


Telehealth Flexibility Updates: HIPAA, DEA, and CMS

The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) officially ended on May 11, 2023. But what does that mean for telehealth, a field that expanded exponentially during the PHE? Fortunately, many of the flexibilities will remain intact, at least temporarily. This client alert presents a brief overview of the timelines that providers need to follow, but for a more comprehensive review of telehealth flexibilities and when they will end

WEBINAR SERIES RECAP | Ending the Public Health Emergency + Post-Pandemic Check-Up

Some may take the position that the rest of the country already returned to a new “normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic.  But healthcare providers continue to implement COVID protocols and navigate the ever-changing healthcare regulations at both the federal and state levels.  It is important for healthcare providers to take time for a “Healthcare Check-Up” with the start of 2023 and the ending of the Public Health Emergency (“PHE”).

Sharp Rise in False Claims Act Cases - Navigating the FCA Waters

Recently, on April 18, 2023, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the FCA’s scienter, or mental state, requirement. To prove violation of the FCA, the statute requires that a defendant “knowingly” file false claims for payment. The term “knowingly” is defined within the statute to mean a person that acts with actual knowledge, deliberate ignorance, or reckless disregard. Circuit courts are split on how to interpret and apply the knowledge element of the FCA, and based on the Supreme Court’s decision, there will be a large impact on healthcare defendants and their businesses as well as anyone who contracts with, or receives money from, a federal program. A broader interpretation of the FCA would unnecessarily target and stifle healthcare, and other businesses, for simple errors in daily operations. This goes against the intended application of the FCA, which was to prevent fraudulent activity.

Areas of Opportunity in Columbus: Highlights from the Columbus Opportunity Summit

On April 27, 2023 Columbus Business First held its annual Columbus Opportunity Summit, bringing together business and economic development leaders to provide an update on how Central Ohio is preparing for expected growth in the coming years, an issue heightened by the arrival of Intel at its 1,000 acre site in Licking County, just outside of Columbus. The site will be home to two new chip factories with room to grow to a total of eight factories and is a $20 Billion investment.

BREAKING: Biden Administration Has Officially Ended the Two Remaining COVID Vaccine Mandates

As of May 1, 2023, the Biden Administration has officially ended the two remaining COVID vaccine mandates: (1) the Federal Contractor Mandate, and (2) the CMS Healthcare Provider Vaccine Mandate.