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Streamlining the Contract Administration Process Seminar
Monday, October 18-Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront •
Baltimore, Md.
HDMA Members Discuss Hot Topics in Contracts and Chargebacks at Streamlining the Contract Administration Process Seminar
Distributed in the October 26, 2010 edition of the Distribution Digest
Healthcare supply chain partners met in Baltimore last week for HDMA’s Streamlining the Contract Administration Process seminar. In this second annual industry forum, distributors, manufacturers and service providers addressed important industry issues developing from this year’s healthcare reform legislation, as well as industry efforts surrounding unique product and location identifiers.
First-day seminar highlights included a keynote presentation by James G. Scott of Applied Policy, L.L.C, who explored the considerations to successfully navigate the post-healthcare reform environment, including new reimbursement and reporting requirements as well as the new programs and initiatives established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Next, Linda Ewald of AmerisourceBergen Corporation led a panel discussion focused on supply chain perspectives of some of the industry changes emerging as a result of health reform. Panelists, including Marcus Hawkins of McKesson Corporation and Walter Gramley of MHA Inc., also discussed industry trends toward specialty contracting and real-world scenarios about the changes that occur when a health system changes Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) or a distributor participates with more than one GPO.
In what was called an “industry first,” a panel of four competitors in the contract and chargeback data management arena discussed challenges and shared ideas for the future on the seminar’s second day. Moderated by Frank Prybeck of Sandoz, panelists included Richard Burcham of BPI Technologies, Joseph Marttila of I-many, Bob Steller of Vistex and Nate Taninecz of Model N.
In a much-anticipated session, Commander Krista Pedley, the new Director of the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) — the department responsible for administering the 340B Drug Pricing Program — shared the current efforts of her office as it looks to implement the changes to the program established under the ACA (including the enrollment of newly-eligible entities). She further discussed the status of the OPA’s implementing regulations, specifically, the recently-released advance notice for proposed rules (ANPRM) on civil monetary penalties and the claims resolution process. Commander Pedley concluded her discussion with a brief description of the ACA-mandated GAO study on improving the 340B program. She encouraged input from the audience and from industry members generally on the issues impacting the 340B program and urged interested stakeholders to comment on the ANPRM. (The comment period ends November 19.)
Seminar attendees discuss various topics in contract administration during roundtable exercises. |
Following Commander Pedley, Christopher Hatwig of Apexus shared his perspective on the changes to the 340B program as the organization that administers the prime vendor program on behalf of HRSA. Hatwig commented on the changes to the 340B program, as well as some of the unique challenges the industry is facing regarding the requirements established under the ACA on the GPO and orphan drug exclusions. He indicated that additional resources are needed for HRSA to properly administer the ACA-related provisions for the 340B program, and noted that Congress should consider potential user fees and increased appropriations for the program. The session’s final panelist, Sharley Chen (formerly with the OPA) discussed the development and utility of the HRSA database to support eligibility information.
In addition to these expert-led sessions, the audience participated in roundtable exercises. In these smaller group discussions, attendees had the opportunity to explore various topics, including using EDI data in contracts and chargebacks, as well as implementation and system implications of new location and product identifiers (such as Global Location Number).
HDMA plans to convene another seminar on this topic
in 2011.
Stay tuned to www.HealthcareDistribution.org/seminars.asp for the latest updates and the 2011 seminar dates to be announced!
For more information, contact Tirza Niemann.
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