“HEAL on the Hill” 340B Federal Fly-In: Local Advocates Call on Congress to Reform the 340B Program
In September, HEAL Collaborative welcomed more than 20 advocates to Washington, DC for a two-day fly-in on federal 340B reform. Advocates from Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin took to Capitol Hill to meet with their elected officials in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate to discuss the importance of federal 340B reform for patients in their communities and across the country.
On the first day of the event, advocates gathered for an informational session led by HEAL’s COO, Howard Mosby. Participants learned about legislative solutions for federal 340B reform, including Rep. Buddy Carter’s (R-GA) and Rep. Diana Harshbarger’s (R-TN) recently reintroduced 340B Affording Care for Communities and Ensuring a Strong Safety-Net Act (340B ACCESS Act). This piece of legislation establishes critical oversight and transparency for the 340B program, and provides clear, practical, and achievable solutions to help ensure that the 340B program serves who it was intended to: patients.
Speakers during the training session included Shawn Gremminger of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, Thomas Johnson of The Alliance to Save America’s 340B Program (ASAP 340B), and Jeanette Contreras of the Organization for Latino Health Advocacy (OLHA).
Day two of the fly-in was dedicated to Capitol Hill meetings, where advocates shared the real-world impact of the program and urged members of Congress and their staff to support meaningful reform through passage of the ACCESS Act. Advocates engaged with over 40 Congressional offices that day.
The HEAL Collaborative is extremely proud of the partners and advocates who brought their expertise and real-world experiences to Capitol Hill to call on our leaders in Congress to prioritize transparency and accountability in the program. Together we can push for reforms that allow 340B to deliver on its original intent to help patients access the care and treatments they need.