Some in the drug industry insist
that a small percentage of 340B hospitals actually help low-income patients. A new comparative study of 340B DSH hospitals and non-340B hospital sets the record straight.
The study found that:
- As a percentage of total patient care costs, 340B disproportionate share hospitals provide nearly twice as much care as non-340B hospitals – 41.9 percent versus 22.8 percent – to Medicaid beneficiaries and low-income Medicare patients.
- 340B hospitals provide nearly 30 percent more uncompensated care than non-340B hospitals – $24.6 billion to $17.5 billion. Although 340B hospitals accounted for only 35 percent of all hospitals included in the analysis,
340B hospitals provided 58 percent of all uncompensated care. In addition, when taking hospital size into account and looking at uncompensated care as a percent of total patient care costs, 340B hospitals across all hospital sizes provided consistently high levels of uncompensated care.
- A higher percentage of 340B DSH hospitals provide public
health and specialized services – many of which are unprofitable but essential to their communities – than non-340B hospitals. Examples include emergency trauma care, care to persons with HIV/AIDS, crisis prevention, neonatal intensive care, etc.
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