340B Health’s Post

Here are the ABCs of #340B: how it works, and the congressional intent behind this successful, bipartisan program that requires no taxpayer dollars to fund care. A. Safety-net hospitals, health centers, and clinics that serve a large portion of uninsured, underinsured, or rural patients receive discounts from drugmakers on eligible outpatient drugs. When an insured patient receives one of these drugs, the difference between the 340B price and the reimbursement rate generates cost savings for the provider. B. 340B providers use those savings to fund health care services and programs best suited to their community’s needs. Examples could include building a state-of-the-art cancer center, providing free or discounted drugs to low-income patients, keeping a hospital’s doors open in a rural area, and much more. C. By receiving more access to crucial care, patients’ health outcomes improve, and the entire health care system saves money in the long run due to lowered emergency room and hospital readmissions. #Becauseof340B #Pharmacy #HealthPolicy

#Becauseof340B, hospitals have provided care to millions of patients at no cost to taxpayers for the past 30-plus years. Here’s how it works: 1. Hospitals meet rigorous eligibility requirements to qualify for 340B. 2. Hospitals use savings to provide more care to more patients living in under-resourced areas. 3. Hospitals rely on 340B as a lifeline, with 93% of rural hospitals using savings to keep their doors open. Learn more: www.becauseof340B.org.

We caught up with a government affairs leader at the 340B Coalition #340BConf for a #340B civics lesson on advocacy for covered entities seeking to protect themselves from drugmaker conditions on pharmacy partnerships. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System Listen and learn from Ryan Cross, a pro whose home state of Louisiana is one of the eight states blocking drugmakers from restricting the flow of essential savings to covered entities: bit.ly/4ffQcgk #Protect340B #340BInsight 

Cheryl Chupp’s daily routine after her breast cancer diagnosis consisted of surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and a costly medication regimen. #Becauseof340B, Jefferson Health in Philadelphia used some of its savings from the #340B discounts it receives on medications to help fill the gaps between what Cheryl’s insurance paid for and the full cost of her care. “I have never been presented a bill for any of my chemotherapy treatments,” she said. Cheryl, a busy mother and grandmother, says Jefferson’s financial assistance allows her to focus on what matters most: staying healthy for her family.

Thank you to our members who joined us on Capitol Hill after a busy couple of days at the 340B Coalition #340BConf to meet with elected officials and their staff about the growing need to #Protect340B. In total, 130 advocates from across 36 states participated in more than 200 meetings last week, sharing their testimonials and educating lawmakers about the increased patient access to care, discounted medications, and improved health outcomes that are made possible #Becauseof340B. We appreciate the lawmakers and their staff who are willing to learn more about 340B and show their support for this essential program.