July 9, 2013—Three associations that represent a broad group of hospitals in the 340B drug discount program joined together today to highlight how the program "benefits vulnerable patients, including those with little or no ability to pay."[ms-protect-content id="2799"] During a call with health care reporters, Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access (SNHPA) unveiled … [Read more...]
Setting the Record Straight on 340B: A Response to Critics
A new, comprehensive report released today corrects misinformation about a federal drug discount program and underscores how the program benefits vulnerable patients, including those with little or no ability to pay. Click here for the complete 27-page report. The report finds that the 340B drug pricing program continues to meet Congress’ intent of “enabling safety net … [Read more...]
What Is 340B?
Congress created the 340B Drug Discount Program in 1992 to reduce outpatient prescription drug costs for safety net health care providers, enabling them to stretch scarce resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services. The program was enacted with strong bipartisan support from Congress and signed into law by President … [Read more...]
How Does 340B Work?
In the early 1990s, drug companies began raising prices sharply for safety net health care providers, partly in response to the Medicaid drug rebate program’s creation in 1990. Congress enacted 340B in 1992 to help ease some of this pressure on these providers. It said that, if a drug company wanted its products to continue to be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement, it would … [Read more...]
Is 340B Working?
Yes. Multiple reports show that safety net health care providers use 340B savings just as Congress intended: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in a September 2011 study that all 340B entities it interviewed reported using their 340B savings in ways that were consistent with the program’s intent. A June 2011 study by Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical … [Read more...]
Who Gains If 340B Is Restricted?
Many of those who say 340B should be restricted are the ones who will gain the most if that actually happens. Drug manufacturers and biotechnology companies have an obvious reason to restrict the program: They would get to keep more money. These companies are already making billions in profits. According to one recent study, the 11 biggest multinational drug companies racked … [Read more...]
If 340B Is Restricted, Who Loses?
Safety net hospitals, health centers, HIV/AIDS programs, specialized clinics—and the tens of millions of poor, uninsured, and underinsured patients who depend on them for free or inexpensive health care—would all lose if 340B is scaled back or terminated. … [Read more...]