ADAP Advocacy has released a second digital commercial as part of its 340B Project, drawing attention to the failure of large hospital systems to deliver charity care to low-income patients. The commercial reinforces the central message of the policy paper the organization published earlier this year under the same name, “340B PROGRAM: The Glue That Should Hold Our Healthcare System Together (Charity Care).” The announcement arrives as medical debt continues to surge and charity care declines, raising questions about whether the 340B Drug Pricing Program is fulfilling its intended purpose of improving patient care.
Congress created the 340B Program to extend federal resources and improve care for vulnerable patients. The Affordable Care Act added requirements for hospitals to provide free care and financial aid to poor patients—known as charity care. Yet charity care continues to decline year after year. Patients now owe at least $220 billion in medical debt, and nearly 75% of that debt is owed to hospitals, with Black and Hispanic communities disproportionately impacted. These figures underscore a growing disconnect between the program’s original goals and the reality facing many low-income patients.
Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of ADAP Advocacy, summarized the findings: “Our own data confirms what has already been widely documented: that patients aren’t being made aware that discounted or free care is available to them if they’re low-income and deemed eligible for charity care. What is even more particularly striking is the number of 340B-eligible hospitals that engage in predatory debt collection and actually sue patients for that medical debt.” Macsata’s statement points to a troubling pattern: hospitals that benefit from 340B discounts may be simultaneously pursuing aggressive collection practices against the very patients the program was designed to help.
The commercial will air across numerous digital and social platforms. It continues ADAP Advocacy’s “340B Too Big To Fail” national advocacy campaign, which highlights hospitals’ declining charity care, rising healthcare executive compensation, and exploding patient medical debt, among other issues. The campaign seeks to draw public and policymaker attention to these trends as the 340B program remains a critical source of funding for safety-net providers.
The commercial is available online at https://tinyurl.com/tdhfba6k. ADAP Advocacy’s mission is to promote and enhance the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and improve access to care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The organization works with advocates, community, health care, government, patients, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders to raise awareness, offer patient educational programs, and foster greater community collaboration. This latest effort signals that the debate over 340B accountability is far from over, and that patients and advocates are increasingly demanding transparency from hospitals that receive program benefits.
