OPINION — No older adult should have to choose between filling a prescription and paying for groceries or keeping the lights on. Yet that’s precisely the choice too many older adults in the United States face, especially Hispanic adults.
More than one in five Medicare beneficiaries say they have recently delayed or skipped needed care because of cost. Hispanic older adults, in particular, go without treatment at disproportionately high rates.
More than three decades ago, Congress created a program to help these patients. The 340B Drug Pricing Program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide steep discounts on medicines to certain hospitals, clinics and other safety-net providers. In theory, they can use those discounts to reinvest in the patient community they serve by offering services that don’t deliver much financial return, but provide enormous value to struggling communities.
