340B Drug Discount Program
The 340B prescription drug program is a vital lifeline for safety-net providers, supporting critical health services in our communities. The program is narrowly tailored to reach only hospitals that provide a high level of services to low-income individuals or that serve isolated rural communities. Savings from the 340B program help hospitals meet the healthcare needs of underserved patients across the country. As a qualifying hospital, Miami Valley Hospital realized more than $6 million in savings in 2019 alone – savings that contributed to the hospital’s commitment to the community.
Miami Valley Hospital’s Commitment to the Community
Miami Valley Hospital shares the vision, and conducts its operations, in accordance with Premier Health’s mission statement, “We will improve the health of the communities we serve with others who share our commitment to provide high-quality, cost-competitive health care services.” The hospital’s 340B program invests savings from the program into other programs that benefit community health.
A community health improvement plan has been developed both from the system perspective and by the hospital for the specific population we service. There are four priority areas identified:
- Overdose / Substance Abuse
- Birth Outcomes
- Hunger / Food Insecurity
- Physical Literacy – Chronic Disease
Miami Valley Hospital is committed to addressing these issues and building healthier communities. In 2019, the hospital incurred $250.7 million in costs for community services and uncompensated care. While the 340B program covers only a fraction of the hospital’s $250.7 million in charity care costs, it is a vital contributor to the safety net that supports our hospital and region’s most vulnerable patients.
Miami Valley Hospital realized more than $6 million in savings in 2019 alone – savings that helped the hospital stretch its scarce resources by offering a robust array of community benefit services. These programs traditionally have included the Genesis Project, which strengthened neighborhoods near the hospital; the Gem City Market to combat a food desert; Homefull’s mobile grocery, which travels to neighborhoods with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables; a community paramedicine program; and barbershop initiative. All these programs seek to head off health problems for people who live in communities served by the hospital. Eliminating 340B savings would undermine not only the hospital’s community benefit programs, but also its ability to provide care without regard for a patient’s ability to pay.