The 340B program allows certain hospitals and clinics to buy prescription drugs at discounted prices. It is intended to support care for underserved communities, but reports indicate discounts seldom reach patients.
Key Takeaways
- Designed to support care for underserved patients
- Discounts do not always reach patients
- Hospital systems charge patients full price on discounted drugs to increase revenue
How can the 340B program benefit patients?
The program allows certain hospitals and clinics to purchase drugs at discounted prices. If those savings are passed onto patients as intended by the program, it can help individuals afford the medicine they need.
Why is there debate about its impact?
There is ongoing debate about whether discounts from 340B program are passed on to patients. Reports show many hospital systems use the 340B program and its discounts to generate revenue by purchasing the drugs at a discount, and the marking them up to patients.
What this means in North Carolina
In North Carolina, the 340B program is part of broader conversations around healthcare costs, access, and transparency. Policymakers and advocates continue to evaluate how the program impacts patients and how savings are used.
Concerns about how these savings are passed on to patients have been raised in discussions around Rx costs and transparency in North Carolina.
