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Patient advocates, health care leaders, and members of Congress united at the sixth annual National Alliance for Integrity and Reform of 340B (AIR340B) Stakeholder Summit in Washington, DC, to discuss how to fix the 340B drug discount program so it benefits the low-income, vulnerable, or uninsured patients it was intended to help.

Amidst the swirl of conversations happening in Washington, D.C., and across the country on health care, there is an ongoing and important discussion about the 340B drug discount program. Created nearly three decades ago to serve as a safety-net drug discount program for America’s needy patients, the program is a prime example of well-intentioned policies that haven’t worked as planned and have resulted in patients paying the price through higher out-of-pocket costs.

The health of America’s most vulnerable should be a priority for everyone, not a bipartisan battle.

As Americans, we’re blessed to live in a nation where investments and innovations in health care help millions of people every day to manage and overcome their illnesses. Yet the escalating prices of prescription drugs are a daily concern for every American in need of them. In fact, it’s one of the top concerns I hear from Iowans at my annual 99 county meetings as well as through phone calls and emails.

Here and in communities across Florida, a great many people are in desperate need of medical care. Often they have limited income and no insurance but suffer from significant health issues that required expensive, lifesaving prescriptions.

As the 116th Congress gets underway, health care is top of mind not only for lawmakers, but also for Americans everywhere. According to a recent Gallup poll, 6 in 10 Americans say they are concerned about the increasing cost of their personal health care.

Between the lines: Politically, an age-restricted Medicare buy-in is about as moderate as it gets for Democrats in the age of "Medicare for All."

Hospitals that recently enrolled in the 340B drug pricing program saw greater increases in per-patient drug spend compared to non-340B hospitals, according to a Berkeley Research Group study funded by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a drug lobby.