Joe Grogan’s latest op-ed, “Trump’s congressional allies finally move on 340B,” highlights how congressional allies of President Trump are advancing long-awaited reforms to the federal 340B Drug Discount Program, which was designated to help hospitals serve low-income patients but has since ballooned into a system critics say benefits large health systems instead.
In his op-ed, Joe writes:
“The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee recently held a hearing on abuses in the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The program was created more than 30 years ago with good intentions: to help certain hospitals and clinics serving vulnerable populations buy outpatient drugs at a discount. Today, however, the program is plagued by waste, fraud and abuse, and politicians on both sides of the aisle are determined to reform it.
President Trump is taking action to restore oversight, patient focus and accountability to the program. He signed an executive order in April that called for significant changes to the 340B program, including site-neutral payment and drug price negotiation. The administration is also preparing to adjust hospitals’ drug reimbursements to better reflect their acquisition costs.
Mr. Trump’s leadership may be leading to action in Congress. A recent Senate investigation found that many covered entities generate hundreds of millions of dollars in 340B revenue yet provide little evidence that those savings lead to lower costs or expanded care for low-income patients. Sen. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Republican and chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, remarked, “This investigation underscores that there are transparency and oversight concerns that prevent 340B discounts from translating to better access or lower costs for patients.” Mr. Cassidy is working with the committee on legislation to address these long-held concerns.”
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