The reconstituted Senate 340B Gang of Six, which includes Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), on Thursday introduced an updated version of their bipartisan 340B reform legislation, the Supporting Underserved and Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Integrity Now and for the Future of 340B (SUSTAIN 340B, PDF) Act. The new bill builds on discussion draft legislation released in 2024 [refer to Washington Highlights, Feb. 2, 2024] and incorporates comments and feedback from the AAMC and other interested parties [refer to Washington Highlights, April 5, 2024].
In addition to retaining 340B reform policies from the 2024 discussion draft, such as clarifications on contract pharmacy arrangements, restrictions on hospitals’ use of child sites, and additional transparency and reporting measures, the updated legislation includes new policies targeting rebate models, patient definition, and restrictions on physician referrals.
This latest proposal is one of many being considered in Congress to update and reform the program. On July 6, Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and John Joyce (R-Pa.) unveiled the Strengthening the Exercise of Controls and Upgrading Requirements for Efficiency in (SECURE) 340B Act (H.R. 9599) [refer to Washington Highlights, July 10]. Additionally, in June, Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) released his own proposal, the 340B for Patients Act [refer to Washington Highlights, June 26].