Kay Rowe, an author and inspirational speaker at Embrace Life LLC, said that Senate Bill 71 would obstruct mandates designed to ensure healthcare funds are utilized directly for patient benefit.
“SB 71 would prohibit requirements that the money be used to benefit patients,” said Rowe, Author and Writing Coach.
According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), the 340B Drug Pricing Program assists hospitals and other healthcare providers in purchasing outpatient drugs at discounted prices. This program was established by Congress in 1992 to help providers extend limited resources and offer more services to vulnerable communities. Participating hospitals use savings from the program to fund care for uninsured and underinsured patients.
The USC Schaeffer Center reported that between 2000 and 2020, the number of covered entity sites participating in the 340B program increased from 8,100 to 50,000. Hospitals constituted approximately 60% of these sites in 2020, with the estimated value of discounted purchases through the program rising from about $4 billion per year in 2007-2009 to $38 billion in 2020. This growth has led to concerns about whether the program is being used as intended.
According to PhRMA, in Pennsylvania, 67 hospitals participate in the 340B program. Between 2014 and 2022, these hospitals experienced a 20% increase in assets while charity care provided decreased by 36%. Notably, 92% of these hospitals offered charity care at levels below the national average of 2.5% of total operating costs.
Rowe is also a writing coach, mediator, and REALTOR licensed in Colorado and Nebraska. She is the founder of Embrace Life LLC and has published a memoir titled “Belonging: My Transformation to a Cult-Free Life.”
