340B Hospitals Target More Low-Income Patients
by Admin | June 4, 2015 11:07 am
[1]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[2] 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,
[3]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.
If you support and want to protect 340B, help spread this news.
Endnotes:
- [Image]: http://340bfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/340BHospitals_May2015Update.png
- study: http://www.340bhealth.org/340b-resources/why-340b-matters/analysis-of-340b-dsh-hospital-services-delivered-to-vulnerable-patient-popu
- [Image]: http://340bfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/340BHealth_VitalHealthServices.png
Source URL: https://340binformed.org/2015/06/340b-hospitals-target-more-low-income-patients/