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 |
|---|---|
| Blue Hill Memorial Hospital | Blue Hill |
| Bridgton Hospital | Bridgton |
| Calais Community Hospital | Calais |
| Central Maine Medical Center | Lewiston |
| Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital | Greenville |
| Down East Community Hospital | Machias |
| Eastern Maine Medical Center | Bangor |
| Franklin Memorial Hospital | Farmington |
| Houlton Regional Hospital | Houlton |
| Inland Hospital | Waterville |
| Maine Coast Memorial Hospital | Ellsworth |
| Maine Medical Center | Portland |
| MaineGeneral Medical Center | Augusta |
| MaineHealth | Damariscotta |
| Mercy Hospital | Portland |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital | Millinocket |
| Mount Desert Island Hospital | Bar Harbor |
| Northern Light Mayo Hospital | Dover Foxcroft |
| Northern Maine Medical Center | Fort Kent |
| Penobscot Bay Medical Center | Rockport |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital | Lincoln |
| Redington-Fairview General Hospital | Skowhegan |
| Rumford Hospital | Rumford |
| Sebasticook Valley Health | Pittsfield |
| St. Mary's Regional Medical Center | Lewiston |
| Stephens Memorial Hospital | Norway |
| The Aroostook Medical Center | Presque Isle |
| Waldo County General Hospital | Belfast |
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