HHS Oct. 1 rescinded a rule created by former President Donald Trump that would have required federally qualified health centers to pass discounts on insulin and epinephrine directly to patients.
HHS said the rule would have put "excessive administrative costs and burdens" on health centers and that it "would have resulted in reduced resources available to support critical services to health center patients — including those who use insulin and epinephrine."
HHS had proposed getting rid of the rule, which was implemented under an executive order by former President Trump in July 2020. It would have required all health centers receiving section 330(e) grant funds and participating in the 340B drug-pricing program to make insulin and epinephrine available to low-income patients at or below the cost the health center purchased them for through the 340B drug-pricing program.
It would have applied to people with annual incomes at or below 350 percent of the federal poverty level who have a high-cost sharing requirement, high unmet deductible or no health insurance.
Health centers argued the rule wouldn't lower drug prices for patients and would do more harm than good by putting administrative burdens on the health centers.
HHS said in its decision to rescind the rule that, in many cases, health centers already voluntarily provide medications at reduced prices to their patients.