340B Program Reform Needed to Prioritize Patients, Says ADAP Advocacy

ADAP Advocacy has released a retrospective white paper titled '340B Program: The Glue That Should Hold Our Healthcare System Together' that examines the 340B Drug Pricing Program and argues for reform to better serve patients. The white paper contends that the program, now the second-largest federal prescription drug program behind Medicare Part D, has strayed from its original legislative intent by prioritizing provider interests over patient interests. Key concerns include a lack of transparency and accountability, which have led to questions about why patients are increasingly unable to afford care despite the program's design to expand access and reduce financial burden.

Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of ADAP Advocacy, emphasizes that the push for greater transparency should extend to the 340B Program, just as it does to hospital billing practices and pharmacy benefit managers' spread pricing. The white paper poses three central questions: why patients are still struggling to afford care, why 340B is not adequately addressing this, and why it fails the uninsured and underinsured it was meant to serve. The paper calls for improved accountability and transparency guardrails to ensure the program's success and benefit to patients. The white paper is available at https://www.adapadvocacy.org/policycenter/340b.

ADAP Advocacy's mission is to promote and enhance AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and improve access to care for people living with HIV/AIDS. The organization works with various stakeholders to raise awareness, offer patient education, and foster collaboration. This white paper is a critical step in understanding how the 340B Program can be reformed to truly help low-income patients access the care they need.