Following today's Department of Health pharmacy benefit stakeholder webinar, it is clear the State plans to move forward with the pharmacy carve out. It is time to make our voices heard and Save 340B!
What you can do to help
Send a letter through the Save New York's Safety Net website, urging your lawmakers to stop the changes to the Medicaid drug carve-out plan immediately. It is easy to do and will take under 2 minutes!
Once you have sent your letter, encourage coworkers and patients, family and friends, and anyone in your social network to send letters as well. We want all New Yorkers to come together and tell the State to Save the Safety Net, Save 340B!
About 340B
340B is a drug discount program that has allowed safety-net health care providers to access pharmaceutical drugs at reduced costs, and to reinvest savings in order to expand access to care. The FY 2021 New York State Budget directs the Department of Health to remove the Medicaid pharmacy benefit from managed care, requiring the State to provide the pharmacy benefit under the fee for service program starting April 1, 2021.
Transitioning the pharmacy benefit out of managed care will eliminate savings that community health centers and other safety net providers receive from the 340B program in Medicaid managed care.
- Health centers rely on 340B to provide expanded access to primary care, medications, and services to meet basic human needs (like transportation and food).
- Patients who benefit from 340B programs are primarily Black and Brown people, immigrants, and individuals living with HIV or other complex health needs.
- Health centers use 340B savings to provide critical access to medications and services in New York’s poorest communities.
- Without 340B savings, health centers will no longer be able to provide services to low income New Yorkers.
Thank you for your advocacy!
