Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
A Senate working group on 340B legislation will release an overhaul bill this week, Sen. John Thune told Axios today.
Why it matters: The legislation could set new guardrails for a program that's been a magnet for litigation and pitted hospitals and drugmakers against each other over who qualifies to receive discounted drugs.
What they're saying: "It is being filed this week," Thune told Axios, adding that the legislation would be available publicly this week and will be called the "SUSTAIN Act."
- Thune previously said in June that the six senators in the working group were hopeful a draft would materialize by August recess.
- One health lobbyist told Axios the legislation will be rolled out tomorrow.
Zoom in: A discussion draft released by the bipartisan group this spring left some questions up in the air, such as what the definition of a 340B patient is.
- The health lobbyist said that's still being worked out.
- The bill could specify where drug companies have to provide discounted drugs and provide additional oversight measures, such as reporting how many patients are served by the program.
