500 Hospital Leaders Ask Congress to Protect 340B Drug Pricing Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2014 Contact: Randy Barrett
(202) 536-2285
randy.barrett@340bhealth.org
500 Hospital Leaders Ask Congress to Protect 340B Drug Pricing Program
Washington, D.C. – More than 500 CEOs of hospitals and health systems signed a letter delivered today to the leadership in the House and Senate. The letter stresses the importance of the 340B drug pricing program in helping safety-net providers care for underserved patients and asks that it be protected.
340B is a federal program that enables hospitals and other providers that serve high numbers of needy patients to access affordable medications. It helps fund free and low-cost medication access as well as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, oncology, dental and primary clinics for the underserved.
“This valuable program, which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush and continues to enjoy broad bipartisan support, enables our hospitals to expand health care services to the community, increase the number of patients we serve and offset losses from uncompensated care,” the hospitals say. “In some instances, the program allows us to keep our emergency rooms and hospital doors open.”
In a teleconference today, signatory Ronald Peterson, president of Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System in Baltimore said, “The 340B drug pricing program has helped hospitals like ours stretch federal tax dollars to meet the needs of the low-income, uninsured and underinsured populations we serve.”
340B savings help fund West Virginia Health Right, a large free clinic run by the Charleston Area Medical Center. “We provide all outpatient and inpatient services at no charge—a write off of $10 million per year,” said CAMC president and CEO David Ramsey.
Other signatories include Ramanathan Raju, MD, president and CEO of New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation; Robert Henkel, president and CEO of Ascension Health and leaders of hundreds of rural and urban hospitals across America.
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340B Health is an association of more than 1,000 hospitals. We are the leading advocate and resource for providers who serve their communities through participation in the 340B drug pricing program. For more information about 340B Health and the 340B program, visit www.340bhealth.org.