Fact sheet. The 340B Drug Pricing Program

Fact sheet. The 340B Drug Pricing Program

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Alternate Title(s):
340B Drug Pricing Program
Contributor(s):
American Hospital Association, issuing body.
Publication:
[Washington, D.C.] : American Hospital Association, March 2023
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Drug Costs
Economics, Hospital
Medicare -- economics
United States
340B Drug Pricing Program (U.S.)
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
For more than 30 years, the 340B Drug Pricing Program has provided financial help to hospitals serving vulnerable communities to manage rising prescription drug costs. Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act requires pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in Medicaid to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to health care organizations that care for many uninsured and low-income patients. These organizations include federal grantee organizations and several types of hospitals, including critical access hospitals (CAHs), sole community hospitals (SCHs), rural referral centers (RRCs), and public and nonprofit disproportionate share hospitals (DSH) that serve low-income and indigent populations. The program allows 340B hospitals to stretch limited federal resources to reduce the price of outpatient pharmaceuticals for patients and expand health services to the patients and communities they serve. Hospitals use 340B savings to provide, for example, free care for uninsured patients, offer free vaccines, provide services in mental health clinics, and implement medication management and community health programs. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which is responsible for administering the 340B program, enrolled hospitals and other covered entities can achieve average savings of 25% to 50% in pharmaceutical purchases. Despite significant oversight from HRSA and the program’s proven record of decreasing government spending and expanding access to patient care, some want to scale it back or drastically reduce the benefits that eligible hospitals and their patients receive from the program.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (3 pages))
NLM Unique ID:
9918734068506676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918734068506676