|
Q:
Which patients are eligible? Do they have to be below
a certain income level?
A:
The 340B Program does not have any income
requirements. Any patient of a participating 340B
entity is considered a 340B patient provided the entity
maintains control of the patient's medical records
and has the primary responsibility for the patient's
care. For more information, please refer to the
October
1996 Final Notice Regarding Section 602 of the Veterans
Health Care Act of 1992 Patient and Entity Eligibility.
Q:
Are there any circumstances in which a mental health
center would qualify to participate in the 340B Program?
A:
No free standing mental health facility
can qualify under the 340B drug pricing program as
an eligible entity, because mental health facilities
were not included in the 340B legislation; however,
there are special cases where programs can participate:
1.
If a mental health outpatient clinic is listed on
a Disproportionate Share Hospital's Medicare cost
report then that program can participate under the
larger entity.
2.
If a Community Health Center (under a 330 grant)
has a mental health program that is a part of the
facility, then mental health services can be provided
and 340B drugs purchased.
In
other cases, a Community Health Center may make a
referral to a mental health facility, but ultimately
the responsibility for care lies with the CHC and
would require the patient to return to the CHC's pharmacy
for a prescription
Q:
Under the 340B Program, are inmates of jails eligible
to participate as 340B patients? Are the jails considered
eligible entities?
A:
Jails cannot be considered 340B eligible
entities under the 340B legislation. Only if residents
of the jail are patients of an eligible covered entity,
then the patients can gain access to 340B drugs, but
the jail facility itself cannot participate in the
340B Drug Pricing Program.
In
only a few cases, jails have been able to fall under
the designation of a disproportionate share hospital.
In these cases, the jails are listed as outpatient
facilities on a hospital's Medicare Cost Report and
the physicians of the hospitals provide care to the
inmates. The inmates are considered patients of the
hospital.
|
