The forces arrayed against the 340B program will meet today in Washington for a “leadership summit.” That nearly all the speakers are allies of the pharmaceutical industry should give any responsible journalist or policymaker serious pause.
Big Pharma wants to scuttle 340B and is spending huge sums to discredit the program in the media and on Capitol Hill. Why? Because it eats into the profits of one of the wealthiest industries in the world. These companies benefit when drug prices stay high.
The panelists include the pharmaceutical industry’s paid consultants and representatives from organizations that unfortunately are more interested in their bottom line than addressing the real challenges in providing affordable and accessible cancer care. And of course, there are the “patient” advocacy groups that happen to be financed by the major drug and biotechnology companies.
This esteemed group will inevitably come up with recommendations that the program is in serious need of reform. The truth is the 340B program has been incredibly effective for twenty years and remains more important today than ever before. The challenges that hospitals and other providers face–lower reimbursement, high numbers of uninsured, underinsured and low-income patients—will not go away.
Safety-net hospitals support dialogue on 340B and would be happy to participate but it must be in a fairer venue – and one not organized solely by opponents of the program with a clear agenda.