“They make healthcare easy to get into, but very difficult to understand.”

What is the 340B Drug Discount Program?

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — A program that started in the early nineties meant to help low-income patients, is at the forefront.

But some worry that instead of offering help, it may be benefitting the pockets of executives at hospitals. Jessica Baladad is a patient advocate, she says “they make healthcare easy to pay into but very difficult to understand.” The 340B drug discount program is a federal program to help low income or uninsured patients gain better access to prescription medicines. “340B was enacted by Congress in 1992 to allow nonprofit hospitals to purchase pharmaceuticals at discounted rates in hopes that they would be serving economically disadvantaged communities and pass those savings on to them,” says Baladad. Acco