Show-Me State Times

Terry Wilcox, Co-Founder and Chief Mission Officer of Patients Rising, said the 340B program “is running like a cash cow” for many nonprofit hospitals operating in Missouri and that “patients are getting screwed” by their collection practices. The statement was made in a post on X.

The 340B Drug Pricing Program, established under Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act, enables eligible health care organizations to purchase outpatient drugs at discounted prices from manufacturers. Eligibility and participation are managed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which oversees registration and compliance for covered entities nationwide.

A 2024 article published in JAMA Health Forum reported that hospital participation in the 340B program has increased substantially, yet the benefits to low-income patients remain unclear. The analysis found that many hospitals receiving 340B discounts provided similar levels of uncompensated care as non-participating hospitals, raising questions about patient impact.

PhRMA reported that 42 hospitals in Missouri participate in the 340B program, holding more than 1,400 contracts with pharmacies nationwide. Just 22% of these contract pharmacies are situated in medically underserved areas, while 79% of participating hospitals provide charity care below the national average, fueling questions about whether patient benefit matches program scale.

Terry Wilcox is the Co-Founder and Chief Mission Officer of Patients Rising, a national nonprofit advocating for patient access to affordable care. Her advocacy began with the video series Understanding Cancer and continued through a decade at the cancer nonprofit Vital Options. She co-founded Patients Rising in 2015 to elevate patient stories in health policy debates. Her commentary has appeared in The Hill, Chicago Tribune, and Fortune.