HRSA Administrator Carol Johnson | Health Resources and Services Administration
HRSA Administrator Carol Johnson | Health Resources and Services Administration
This program is a federal initiative that enables eligible hospitals and healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient medications at significantly discounted prices.
Established in 1992, the program aims to provide financial relief to healthcare providers serving vulnerable populations, allowing them to stretch their scarce resources and reach more eligible patients.
Hospitals participating in the 340B program can use the savings to fund essential services and programs, such as free or low-cost medication assistance, expanded access to healthcare, and community outreach initiatives.
Participating hospitals, however, "often extend their 340B discounts to clinics in well-off communities, where they can charge privately insured patients more than those on Medicaid,” reported the Wall Street Journal.
"In some cases, the program appears to be bolstering profits in well-off areas more than it is underwriting services in less-privileged neighborhoods,” said the Journal article.
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced a bill in 2023 that he said would ensure "that organizations are transparent about how they use resources from” the 340B program.
"The 340B Drug Pricing Program is supposed to help low-income and uninsured Americans afford their medicine, but some are taking advantage of the program at the expense of vulnerable patients,” said Kennedy.
| Hospital | City |
|---|---|
| Abbeville County Memorial Hospital | Abbeville |
| Allendale County Hospital | Fairfax |
| Beaufort Memorial Hospital | Beaufort |
| Bon Secours - St. Francis Xavier Hospital | Charleston |
| Conway Hospital | Conway |
| Edgefield County Healthcare | Edgefield |
| Georgetown Memorial Hospital | Georgetown |
| McLeod Health Clarendon | Manning |
| McLeod Medical Center - Dillon | Dillon |
| McLeod Regional Medical Center | Florence |
| Medical University Hospital Authority | Charleston |
| MUSC Health Florence Medical Center | Florence |
| MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center | Lancaster |
| MUSC Health Marion Medical Center | Mullin |
| Newberry County Memorial Hospital | Newberry |
| Prisma Health Baptist Hospital | Columbia |
| Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital | Greenville |
| Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital | Clinton |
| Prisma Health Richland Hospital | Columbia |
| Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital | Sumter |
| Self Regional Healthcare | Greenwood |
| Spartanburg Medical Center | Spartanburg |
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