Drug prices & Part D
CMS Opens a New Database This Fall to Track Discounted Drugs Sold Through Medicare Part D
Starting October 1, 2026, safety-net health providers that buy drugs at a 340B discount can voluntarily report those Part D claims to CMS, filling a gap that has made it harder to enforce inflation rebate rules accurately.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamAugust 29, 2026
CMS released a companion guide and technical instructions in late August 2026 for a new Medicare Part D Claims Data 340B Repository, set to open for voluntary submissions on October 1, 2026.
The repository is tied to the Medicare Part D drug inflation rebate program. Under that program, drug manufacturers pay rebates to Medicare when they raise prices faster than inflation. Federal law, however, exempts drugs purchased through the 340B Drug Pricing Program from those rebate calculations. The 340B program allows qualifying safety-net hospitals, clinics, and health centers to buy certain outpatient drugs at steep discounts to serve low-income patients.
CMS opens a first-ever 340B drug data repository for Medicare Part D on October 1. Safety-net providers can start reporting voluntarily this fall.
Until now, CMS had no centralized system to identify which Part D drug claims were filled using 340B-priced inventory. The new repository closes that gap. Covered entities, or their designated third-party administrators, may submit relevant claims data directly to CMS on a quarterly schedule.
Data covering Part D claims with service dates from January through September 2026 is expected by December 31, 2026. CMS indicated it may consider mandatory reporting in the future, though no such requirement currently exists.
Safety-net providers in the 340B program collectively serve a disproportionate share of low-income and uninsured patients, many of whom also hold Medicare coverage.
In plain words
Some hospitals and clinics buy certain medicines at a lower price through a federal program called 340B. When those lower-cost medicines are used for Medicare Part D patients, they should not be counted the same way as regular drugs in a Medicare rebate program. CMS now has a new online system where these providers can report which Part D drug claims used the 340B discount. It opens October 1, 2026. Reporting is optional for now. This helps make sure the right amounts get calculated in Medicare drug rebate rules. Many of these providers serve low-income Medicare patients.
Understand the basics first
Source: 340B Report
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