River Bend Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1) and Scott Peters (D-CA-50) led a group of 14 bipartisan colleagues in a request to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to advance bipartisan solutions to strengthen and reform the 340B Drug Discount Program. The 340B program was created by Congress in 1992 to help health care providers who deliver care and medicine to uninsured patients—such as federally funded hospitals and clinics—stretch scarce resources through access to discounted drugs. Since then, the program has grown substantially, raising questions about safeguards ensuring savings benefit patients.

In their letter to the Chair and Ranking Member, the members state, “Together, we have tackled complex challenges, like pharmacy benefit manager reform and health care price transparency, with the shared goal of ensuring that patients and our communities have what they need to meet their health care demands. In that spirit, we write to urge you to also consider a bipartisan path forward on strengthening the 340B Drug Discount Program.”

They continued, “We are all committed to the long-term viability of the program, and we are encouraged that a bipartisan group of Senators has invested years seeking wide stakeholder input and developing a set of policy reforms aimed at achieving consensus. Appropriately, their work so far has recognized the need for Congress to step in and provide clarity while ensuring patient well-being remains at the center of the program. As Members of Congress interested in preserving the 340B program for vulnerable patients and their communities, we want to be prepared and make sure the House has considered the full range of issues that will be involved in such an undertaking.”

And they concluded, “As conversations and court cases around the 340B program continue, we urge your leadership to ensure that the Committee continues to serve as a forum for bipartisan collaboration so that our Members, Health Resources and Services Administration, patient groups, covered entities, manufacturers, and other stakeholders have an opportunity to be part of this important policy discussion.”

In addition to Reps. Peters and Miller-Meeks, signatories include Reps. Barragán (D-CA-44), Carter (R-GA-1), Clarke (D-NY-9), Bucshon (R-IN-8), Levin (D-CA-49), Harshbarger (R-TN-1), Crockett (D-TX-30), Moore (R-UT-1), Garcia (D-TX-29), Johnson (R-SD-AL), Davis (D-NC-1), Morelle (D-NY-25), Gonzalez (D-TX-15), and Nickel (D-NC-13).

The full text of their letter reads:

Dear colleagues:

We appreciate your bipartisan leadership of the House Energy & Commerce Committee on many critical health care issues this Congress. Together we have tackled complex challenges like pharmacy benefit manager reform and health care price transparency with a shared goal: ensuring patients' needs are met. In that spirit, we write urging consideration for strengthening the 340B Drug Discount Program. Recent court decisions underscore urgent congressional action is needed.

In June's Energy & Commerce Oversight Subcommittee hearing on 340B Program Members voiced bipartisan agreement on ensuring covered entities use savings appropriately benefiting low-income patients.

Recent reporting suggests substantive efforts may soon strengthen 340B Program; we're committed long-term viability encouraged by Senate's years seeking stakeholder input developing policy reforms aimed achieving consensus recognizing need Congress steps providing clarity keeping patient well-being central.

As conversations/court cases around 340B continue urge leadership ensure Committee serves as forum for bipartisan collaboration involving Members Health Resources/Services Administration patient groups covered entities manufacturers/stakeholders participate important policy discussion.

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