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The Seattle Times recently wrote on a report conducted by Columbia Legal Services (CLS) that found a record number of hospitals are withholding charity care throughout the state of Washington. 27 of the hospitals referenced are 340B Drug Discount Program covered entities, a program which was designed to help certain health care safety-net providers that serve uninsured or otherwise vulnerable patients reduce outpatient prescription drug costs, giving entities the ability to increase uncompensated and charity care in their local communities.

Lynchings have a long history August Cisar perhaps should consult with the series of tubes, Wikipedia, before calling someone out on the history of blacks being lynched. Not only does black lynching predate the New York riots, but in California, lynching of Latinos started with the gold rush in 1848. It seems like the American pastime of discrimination against minorities and people of color runs deep and long. — Jay Cross Big Lake

Drug Discount Program Not Serving Patients Favorably

The Alliance for Integrity and Reform of 340B (AIR340B) applauds House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) for continuing their probe into the 340B drug discount program. Last Friday, the committee leaders sent letters to a variety of covered entities participating in the 340B drug discount program, inquiring about how these institutions calculate program savings and use them to help serve patients in their communities. AIR340B issued the statement linked here.

In recent weeks, the 340B program has resurfaced as a topic of interest for policymakers and patient advocates alike. As the Alliance for Integrity and Reform of 340B (AIR340B Coalition), we are encouraged that much of this interest is geared toward ensuring the sustainability of the program for the future and strengthening it to make sure it serves vulnerable or uninsured patients. However despite this recent increased interest in the program, it is still relatively unknown.

In the opinion piece “Mississippi hospitals at risk, but Washington can help,” (8/6/17), former Rep. Ronnie Shows rightly points to the need to protect rural health care access, but wrongly assumes the 340B drug discount program is the answer.

Federal health officials say a controversial program that allows hospitals to purchase drugs at deep discounts needs some fixing.

The House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing last Tuesday to examine the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) oversight of the 340B drug pricing program.