HSCA Announces 2019 Board of Directors and Names GNYHA Ventures President Lee Perlman Board Chair
Washington, DC (January, 2019) – The Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) today announced that GNYHA Ventures, Inc. President Lee Perlman will serve as Chair of HSCA’s Board of Directors, replacing HealthTrust CEO Ed Jones, who will serve as Immediate Past Chair. GNYHA Ventures, the business arm of Greater New York Hospital Association, includes the group purchasing organization Acurity, Inc.
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Comments of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association to FDA on Identifying the Root Causes of Drug Shortages and Finding Enduring Solutions
On behalf of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the causes of critical prescription drug shortages and potential solutions.
HSCA, its member GPOs, and our member healthcare providers are committed to preventing and mitigating prescription drug shortages and ensuring continued patient access to essential medications. We applaud the FDA for having taken steps to address drug shortages, including forming a drug shortage task force. As FDA has previously noted, drug shortages are a complex issue caused by quality problems, manufacturing delays, and capacity difficulties and one that requires a multi-stakeholder solution. A 2018 study conducted by Alex Brill at Global Matrix Advisors echoed FDA’s findings on drug shortages and also emphasized the need for a multi-stakeholder solution. In pursuit of finding a multi-stakeholder solution, HSCA participates in a drug shortage working group composed of leading healthcare provider organizations – including hospitals, health-system pharmacists, physicians, GPOs, and other supply chain stakeholders – to develop policy proposals to help prevent and address drug shortages in a comprehensive manner. A number of those policy ideas are reflected in HSCA’s recommendations below.
Lear MoreHSCA Statement on Senate HELP Committee Hearing on Reducing Costs through Innovation
Washington, DC (November 28, 2018) – Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) President and CEO Todd Ebert, R.Ph., today released the following statement in conjunction with “Reducing Health Care Costs: Improving Affordability Through Innovation,” a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP):
“The Healthcare Supply Chain Association applauds Senate HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) for their leadership and emphasis on reducing healthcare costs through innovation. As the sourcing and purchasing partners to American hospitals, long-term care facilities, surgery centers, clinics, and other healthcare providers, healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs) are committed to lowering healthcare costs by increasing competition and innovation in the healthcare marketplace.
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Comments of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) to FDA on Facilitating Competition and Innovation in the Biological Products Marketplace
On behalf of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) “Facilitating Competition and Innovation in the Biological Products Marketplace.”
The ability to safely substitute FDA-approved biosimilars for reference biologics will be critical to realizing the full cost-savings potential of biosimilars and will ensure that patients have timely access to safe, less-costly therapies. HSCA and its member healthcare group purchasing organizations are committed to lowering costs through increased competition and innovation in the healthcare marketplace and have consistently advocated for policies to ensure a pathway to market for biosimilars that prioritizes patient safety and cost savings.
We applaud the FDA for recognizing the value of a competitive and innovative biosimilars marketplace and respectfully offer the following recommendations to promote the swift uptake of biosimilar products:
Lear MoreHSCA Comments on DEA Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for Schedule I and II Controlled Substances
On behalf of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) proposed aggregate production quotas for Schedule I and II controlled substances.
HSCA represents the nation’s leading healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs), the sourcing and purchasing partners to virtually all of America’s 7,000+ hospitals, as well as the vast majority of the 68,000+ long-term care facilities, surgery centers, clinics, and other healthcare providers.
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HSCA Releases Second Annual Report on Value GPOs Deliver to the Healthcare Supply Chain
Washington, DC (August 21, 2018) – The Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), which represents the nation’s leading healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs), today released its second annual report on the value that GPOs deliver to the healthcare system. The report, which was based on a survey of HSCA member GPOs, found that GPOs continue to deliver critical cost savings to providers, increase competition and transparency in the market, and are helping to propel improvements to the overall healthcare system.
Lear MoreComments of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association on the Department of Health and Human Services Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs
On behalf of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA), we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the “Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs.” HSCA represents the nation’s leading healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs), the sourcing and purchasing partners to virtually all of America’s 7,000+ hospitals, as well as the vast majority of the 68,000+ long-term care facilities, surgery centers, clinics, and other healthcare providers. We help our healthcare provider partners leverage their purchasing volume to negotiate competitive prices on healthcare products and services. Former FTC Chair Jon Leibowitz recently examined GPOs and found that they operate in a vigorously competitive environment and reduce healthcare costs for patients, hospitals, payers, Medicare and Medicaid, and taxpayers. One report estimated that between 2013 and 2022, GPOs will reduce healthcare spending by up to $864 billion. The value that GPOs deliver allow healthcare providers to focus on their core mission: providing first-class patient care.
Lear MoreHSCA Applauds Senate Judiciary Committee for Advancing the CREATES Act
Washington, DC (June 14, 2018) – Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) President and CEO Todd Ebert, R.Ph., today released the following statement applauding the Senate Judiciary Committee members for voting to advance the CREATES Act:
“The Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) applauds and thanks Chairman Grassley, Senator Leahy and all Senate Judiciary Committee members who voted to advance the CREATES Act for leading the effort to reduce prescription drug prices for patients. Americans rely on generic drugs to reduce costs and increase access to essential medications, and price spikes for commonly used drugs jeopardize patient access to care. HSCA will continue to advocate for policy solutions like the CREATES Act that lower drug prices, encourage competition and innovation in the marketplace, and end anti-competitive abuses utilized by some brand-name manufactures. We urge the Senate to pass the CREATES Act to help protect patient access to affordable prescription drugs for healthcare providers and the patients they serve.”
Lear MoreHSCA Joins Leading Healthcare Organizations in Supporting the CREATES Act (S.974)
We, the undersigned, commend you for your leadership and commitment to reducing out-of-control prescription drug prices and stopping anti-competitive abuses that keep drug prices high. We are encouraged that the Senate Judiciary Committee has noticed a markup of the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act (S. 974). We thank you for your efforts to move this important piece of legislation through the Committee.
Lear MoreComments of the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) on Supported Lifetimes and Legacy Medical Devices
Advances in information technology and medical devices, and increasing interoperability of information systems, devices and services are improving patient care and creating efficiencies in the healthcare system. Medical devices are often life-sustaining or provide vital clinical functions that cannot be compromised without diminishing direct patient care. Accordingly, the availability, reliability, and safety of these devices is essential.
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