Enrollment in 340B Program to Provide Affordable Medications Begins for Newly Eligible Safety-Net Health Care Providers

Affordable Care Act Makes Medications With Up to 50 Percent Discount Available to More Entities

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that expanded enrollment in the 340B Drug Pricing Program begins today.  Administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the expansion of the 340B program will make discounted medications available to new enrollees including children’s hospitals, free standing cancer centers, critical access hospitals, rural referral centers, and sole community hospitals.  These facilities can save an average of 20 percent to 50 percent of the cost for covered outpatient medications.

“Today’s announcement is one more way the Affordable Care Act is working to improve our nation’s health.  The expansion of the number of sites that are eligible for 340B will have an effect beyond just the affordability of medications,” said Sebelius. “Organizations can use the savings from the discounted medications to make them more affordable to patients and expand their access to necessary health care services.”

“We estimate that as many as 1,500 additional hospitals may now be eligible for discounted medications through the Affordable Care Act,” said HRSA Administrator, Mary Wakefield Ph.D, R.N. “In total, we believe the number of sites participating in the 340B program will rise from more than 14,000 to nearly 20,000 when you also factor in clinics and health centers that will be eligible.”

There will be a rolling, online admission process that ends Sept. 30, 2010. During that period, entities that have fully completed the registration process and have been confirmed by HRSA as eligible will be added to the 340B program. 

Additional information can be found at www.hrsa.gov/opa/

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.