ACTION URGENTLY NEEDED: Contact Your House Representative to Support and Vote “YES” on IHA’s 340B Protection Legislation
Tonight, the Illinois Senate approved IHA’s Illinois Patient Access to 340B Pharmacy Protection Act (HB 2371 SA 2) to safeguard the 340B drug discount program. The bill now advances to the House of Representatives. It is urgent you contact your House Representative and ask them to support and vote “YES” on this vital legislation. With only two full days remaining before the May 31 scheduled adjournment, your immediate action and advocacy is critically important.

Your Representative needs to hear directly from hospital leaders about the essential role the 340B program plays in providing life-saving medications and comprehensive care to Illinois’ most vulnerable patients. Make it clear that this legislation does not change the 340B program itself—despite misleading claims from the pharmaceutical industry. Instead, it restores the program to its longstanding structure, reversing arbitrary, harmful restrictions that drug manufacturers have recently imposed on contract pharmacy partnerships. Your outreach is critical to protecting the future of the 340B program in Illinois.

ACTION REQUESTED: Contact your House legislator TODAY and urge them to support and say they will vote “yes” on IHA’s 340B protection legislation. Click here to access IHA’s digital messaging platform to send a pre-populated message directly to your House legislator to ask for their support of this legislation. You may also use our provided call script if you prefer to reach out by phone.

Senate Committee Unanimously Advances 340B Protection Bill
Last night, the Illinois Senate Executive Committee unanimously approved the Illinois Patient Access to 340B Pharmacy Protection Act (HB 2371 SA2) advancing legislation to preserve the 340B program for hospitals across our state. IHA President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi testified in strong support of the bill, emphasizing the urgent need to protect hospitals’ ability to serve vulnerable patients and sustain critical services. He was joined by Sameer Shah, President of Mount Sinai Hospital, who shared how Sinai Chicago is using 340B savings to support critical programs in the community. 

“We are only looking to preserve the status quo—by restoring the program to how it operated before drug manufacturers began to arbitrarily limit the number of contract pharmacies hospitals could partner with,” said Wilhelmi, who went on to say, “These Big Pharma restrictions are creating very real challenges. They limit access to affordable medications and strain hospitals’ ability to provide prescription drugs—as well as comprehensive healthcare services and essential programs in their communities.”

Shah provided Senate committee members with specific examples of how Sinai Chicago uses 340B savings to provide medication support, expand new clinics, hire providers and add pharmacists, and to ensure patients have access to life-saving therapies. He explained to lawmakers that the recent manufacturer restrictions threaten this work and undermine their ability to serve patients. 

Similarly, Wilhelmi pointed to a Critical Access Hospital that has reported the restrictions have resulted in a 75% drop in savings—forcing a re-evaluation of current service lines. Wilhelmi emphasized that, “Instead, those dollars are going into the pockets of drug manufacturers, many of whom are located in foreign countries.”

Wilhelmi also pushed back on pharmaceutical industry claims, reaffirming that hospitals operate under strict oversight: “We follow the rules. We embrace transparency. And we embrace reporting requirements. All we are asking is to get this program back to where it was—before Big Pharma made unilateral changes to restrict it and pad their profits.”

Read Wilhelmi’s full testimony here.

IHA’s 3-Part Webinar Series to Enhance EMTALA Compliance
Amid growing enforcement pressure and steeper penalties, staying on top of Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requirements remains critical for hospitals and health systems. A three-part webinar series—refreshed from IHA’s popular August 2024 offering—equips healthcare providers with the latest guidance to navigate EMTALA requirements. Participants will gain insight into updated Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) guidelines, including new transfer requirements, minimum required equipment and 2024 CMS signage requirements.

Each webinar will take place from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. CT. Dates and topics include:

• July 9 – EMTALA essentials and obstetrical preparedness;
• July 23 – Screening, transfers and vulnerable populations; and
• Aug. 6 – Physician involvement, QIO roles and risk management.

Nancy M. Ruzicka BS, RPh, MBA, MJ, CHC, will lead the webinars. As a recognized expert on state and federal rules, regulations, and interpretive guidelines, Ruzicka consistently provides valuable consultation services to individual client hospitals, nursing facilities, rural health clinics, physician offices and other Medicare-certified healthcare providers.

Registration is per webinar. Registrants will receive access to the program recording(s) for 30 days following each webinar. Be sure to select the “Health System” option to enroll multiple hospitals in a program. Register today.

Staff contact: Bridget McCarte

CMS Oversight Initiative on Pediatric Sex Trait Modification Procedures
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday sent letters to select hospitals performing pediatric sex trait modification procedures, also known as gender-affirming care, citing serious concerns over quality standards, patient safety and financial practices.

CMS has previously raised concerns about the safety and effectiveness of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex trait modification surgeries for minors. The agency also questions the adequacy of informed consent processes, potential adverse outcomes and financial incentives tied to these procedures.

The CMS letter requests hospitals provide:

• Details on informed consent protocols and parental involvement;
• Plans to update clinical guidelines based on current evidence;
• Documentation of adverse outcomes, including regret and de-transition cases; and
• Financial data, including billing codes, revenues and profits related to these procedures.

Hospitals are expected to respond within 30 days.

DEADLINE APPROACHING: Medicaid IMPACT Revalidations Due May 31
The Illinois Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is currently conducting IMPACT Medicaid provider revalidations. Providers in the May cohort must complete IMPACT revalidations by this Saturday, May 31. IHA urges all providers to check their revalidation cycle due date, as well as servicing providers affiliated with their hospital, and submit necessary information to complete their revalidation. HFS has provided IHA with step-by-step instructions to check the status and due date of servicing providers that you can access here.
 
If you are disenrolled from IMPACT, providers can no longer bill for services provided to Illinois Medicaid enrollees, including those enrolled in managed care organizations. Completing this information is necessary to continue receiving Medicaid reimbursement. Click here to access step-by-step instructions on the IMPACT Provider Revalidation website, as well as a frequently asked questions document and a townhall webinar recording. 
 
Staff contact: Elizabeth Nelson