H.E.A.L.S. of the South is collaborating with 15+ patient and provider organizations to share concerns around Senate Bill 2145 and House Bill 728, and continue to push for comprehensive federal reform of the federal 340B program to ensure the program works as intended.
The federal 340B program, designed to serve the needs of low-income and uninsured patients in local communities, requires extensive reform at the federal level to return the program to its original intent. A recent investigative report by the New York Times underscored how the program has been exploited by certain hospitals and pharmacies, prioritizing financial gains over community service. The unintended consequence has been a negative impact on healthcare access, particularly in impoverished and underserved areas, a stark contradiction to the program’s original purpose. In Mississippi, there are 63 340B hospitals – and 40% of Mississippi’s 340B hospitals are below the national average for charity care levels.
Mississippi ranks last, or close to last, in almost every leading health outcome. We encourage the Mississippi State Legislature to pass healthcare reforms that will directly lower out-of-pocket costs for all patients, like sharing the significant discounts and rebates insurers and PBMs pocket as profit with patients at the point-of-sale.
Together, we can improve healthcare in Mississippi.