340B HOSPITALS TREAT A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF CANCER PATIENTS IN UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Disproportionate share (DSH) hospitals participating in the 340B drug pricing program treat larger percentages of cancer patients who are living with low incomes, are disabled, or are members of racial/ethnic minority populations than non-340B hospitals or physician offices, according to a new issue brief that 340B Health released today.
The brief from Dobson Davanzo & Associates, a health economics consultant, used 2018 Medicare claims data to update the firm’s earlier research utilizing data from 2013 and 2014. The updated results, which are consistent with the earlier conclusions, found that patients receiving oncology drugs at 340B DSH hospitals are:
- 57% more likely to be dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid – a group largely made up of people with low incomes – than cancer patients receiving care at non-340B hospitals. They were 44% more likely to be dually eligible than cancer patients treated at physician offices.
- 36% more likely to be eligible for Medicare due to disability than non-340B hospital cancer patients, and 67% more likely to be disabled than physician office cancer patients
- 78% more likely to be Black or African American than non-340B hospital cancer patients, and 46% more likely to be Black or African American than physician office cancer patients. The percentage of Hispanic cancer patients at 340B hospitals also was higher.
The issue brief is the latest addition to a diverse and growing body of research demonstrating that the 340B program is an integral element of the health care safety net for patients from typically underserved populations who are living with cancer.
Contact: Richard Sorian at richard.sorian@340bhealth.org or 202-536-2285.