Thursday, March 27, 2014

#GPSummit14: Highlights from Day 1


Our live coverage from IIR's 6th Annual Government Programs Summit has been provided by Katie Lapins, Director, Huron Consulting Group and Lori Greene, Manager, Huron Consulting Group .
What a great day at this year’s GP Summit!  There were two symposia that attendees were able to select from: “Fundamentals in Government Programs and Pricing,” and “Advanced GP Forum.”  For those newer to the GP space or needing a refresher, the “Fundamentals” track offered a great overview of the current GP landscape including Medicaid, the Public Health Service (“PHS” or “340B”) Program, and the Federal Supply Schedule.  Included was a great session by Miree Lee about all of the various acronyms those in the GP space encounter: WAC, AWP, AMP, ASP, BP, PHS, FSS, FCP, NFAMP, AAC, MAC, etc.  While it might make one’s head spin, this session helped clarify their meaning, how they are calculated, and how they are used.

Each year, the GP Summit provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers to have an informal discussion on the latest “hot” topics and that was covered by the second track.  This year, some of the topics included the potential impact changes associated with the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), the recent PHS/340B Program developments, and bona fide service fee assessments.  Manufacturers have been waiting for four years for a Final Rule associated with the ACA and the impact of potential changes, especially those that were included in the Proposed Rule, were reviewed and discussed.  This session used a panel format and was very interactive with the audience, allowing for interesting discussions about important topics including the “build up” methodology, “5I” product determination/methodology, audits/assessments, and fair market value when evaluating payments to customers.

Both tracks provided great learning opportunities for participants at all levels and if they are an indicator as to what to expect over the next two days, we’re in for a great conference!

Stay tuned for more highlights from day 1!




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