Check out 340B Health's new YouTube video for an overview of 340B and how it works for hospitals and patients. … [Read more...]
Don’t Blame 340B for Private Cancer Clinics’ Finances
Some private cancer clinics blame the 340B program for their financial problems. In an article in The Journal of Oncology Practice, two nationally recognized oncologists argue that 340B isn't at fault. Blaming 340B for the the shift in cancer care from doctors' offices to hospitals and restricting 340B in response "would not address the major causes of this shift and would … [Read more...]
Even With ACA, 340B Is Still Needed
Just this morning, someone on Twitter asked: "With ACA, is 340B still needed with uninsured numbers dropping?" A new study from the financial rating firm Moody's Investors Service helps explain why 340B is, indeed, needed more than ever. Although public and nonprofit hospital bad debt and charity care trended downward in 2014, the first year of Medicaid expansion under the … [Read more...]
340B Hospitals Target More Low-Income Patients
Some in the drug industry insist that a small percentage of 340B hospitals actually help low-income patients. A new comparative study of 340B DSH hospitals and non-340B hospital sets the record straight. The study found that: As a percentage of total patient care costs, 340B disproportionate share hospitals provide nearly twice as much care as non-340B hospitals – 41.9 … [Read more...]
Specialty Drug Hyperinflation Threatens Drug Access
The price of specialty drugs is far outstripping inflation, according to a new white paper from the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing. Between 2012 and 2013, specialty drugs for inflammatory conditions rose 15 percent; for multiple sclerosis 14.7 percent and for cancer 13.6 percent, according to the report. Meanwhile, consumer prices rose just 1.5 percent. “Large, … [Read more...]
340B a Safe Haven From Drugmakers’ Worst Overpricing Practices
Congratulations to John Rother of the National Coalition on Health Care, who wrote a great piece about 340B in Morning Consult on March 5. The 340B program, he says, gives safety-net hospitals and other providers "a safe haven" from the drug industry's "worst overpricing practices." "The anti-340B campaign is fundamentally a means to distract lawmakers from the fact that … [Read more...]
The Real Story on 340B Hospital Growth
Much noise has been made by critics about the number of hospitals in the 340B drug discount program. Indeed, the number has doubled since 2010. Before you assume the worst, know this: Almost all of the newcomers are tiny rural hospitals with 25 beds or less. These facilities (plus three freestanding cancer hospitals) account for only 3 percent of annual 340B drug spending. The … [Read more...]