The 340 B Drug Pricing Program helps safety-net hospitals stretch their limited resources by providing them with discounted prices on prescription drugs. This allows hospitals to provide essential drugs and services to low-income patients, such as HIV/AIDS treatment, cancer care, and mental health services. The 340B program is a vital tool for ensuring access to essential drugs and services for low-income patients.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) released a report on May 25 that highlights the benefits of the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The report, titled “The 340B Drug Pricing Program: A Vital Tool for Ensuring Access to Essential Drugs and Services for Low-Income Patients,” provides an overview of the program, its history, and its value to hospitals and patients.
The 340B program was created in 1992 to help safety-net hospitals, which are hospitals that serve a large number of low-income and uninsured patients, stretch their limited resources. The program allows these hospitals to purchase outpatient drugs at significantly discounted prices from pharmaceutical manufacturers. The discounts can be used to provide essential drugs and services to low-income patients, such as HIV/AIDS treatment, cancer care, and mental health services.
The AHA report found that the 340B program has had a significant impact on the availability of essential drugs and services to low-income patients. The report found that hospitals that participate in the 340B program are more likely to offer HIV/AIDS treatment, cancer care, and mental health services than hospitals that do not participate in the program. The report also found that the 340B program has helped reduce the cost of prescription drugs for low-income patients.
The AHA report concludes that the 340B program is a vital tool for ensuring access to essential drugs and services for low-income patients. The report urges Congress to protect the 340B program from efforts to undermine it.
