A Cheat Sheet of the Growing List of 340B Groups

By Ted Slafsky

With the recent launch of 340B Truth and with several other advocacy/educational groups using 340B in their names, it is a good time to provide a tutorial on the different groups and their goals.  The list below is not exhaustive but reflects the organizations that have emerged over the past few years with the goal of helping to shape the future of the 340B drug discount program.

340B Truth: 340B Truth, which just recently announced its launch on LinkedIn, is the latest entry in the 340B debate.  According to 340B Report, about a dozen people who advise, help run, or work at 340B covered entities are launching the nonprofit. 340B Truth is trying to hammer out a covered entity consensus position on 340B reform and urge Congress to pass it swiftly.  One of the leaders of the group, who at this time has asked to remain anonymous while the organization’s 501(c)(4) application is pending with the IRS, told 340B Report that 340B Truth was launched partly in response to divisions among entities over the National Association of Community Health Centers’ 340B reform partnership with Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Another catalyst was the “gloom and doom” at the end of the recent 340B Coalition annual winter conference, the organizer told 340B Report. “A lot of people left feeling that they did not have a good perspective on what the future held … and what might be taking place to safeguard covered entities,” the organizer said. “People were starting to feel like they were treading water and running out of energy.”

CV340B:  Community Voices for 340B raises awareness of the important role that the 340B program plays in protecting and improving health care access and the quality of care for communities nationwide.  The group, which has an advisory board consisting of individuals from a wide range of 340B providers, is funded by a number of third-party administrators and other 340B service companies.The group works to educate local leaders from faith-based groups, businesses, and local government about 340B’s importance.  It is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and led a march to the U.S. Capitol at the conclusion of the 340B Coalition summer conference last year.

ASAP 340B:  PhRMA and NACHC rocked the 340B world in March when they announced they were joining forces to make significant changes to the 340B program.  The Alliance to Save America’s 340B Program (ASAP 340B), which is made up of 16 organizations (many of which receive significant funding from the drug industry) aims to protect community health center access to the 340B program including the use of contract pharmacies. As I outlined in my last column,  ASAP 340B may be well-meaning but many of its proposals would significantly undermine the safety net.  ASAP 340B is a different organization than a previously drug industry-funded group AIR340B.

 Let340B: Funded and run by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Let340B has a straightforward message: 340B works. Leave it alone. The group is not subtle about getting its message across.  They recently held a number of events protesting the PhRMA/NACHC alliance at the 340B Coalition conference in San Diego.  This included a lunch time rally in a front a crowd of over 1,900 attending the conference and a silent protest outside the conference room where health centers were gathering for their breakout session.

340B Matters: As it explains on its website, “340B Matters is an informational campaign that seeks to protect the 340B program for the nonprofit healthcare facilities and patients who benefit from it.” Known for its tough take on the pharmaceutical industry, 340B Matters has been highly critical of the PhRMA-NACHC alliance.  The organization, which has been around since 2016, recently unveiled that it is underwritten by one of the 340B third party administrators. It is seeking additional support for its efforts.

As things heat up in the 340B space, I would not be surprised to see other groups pop up in the coming months.  I will make sure to keep you updated.

Ted Slafsky is the Publisher and CEO of 340B Report, the only news and intelligence service exclusively covering the 340B program.  Slafsky, who has over 25 years of leadership experience with the 340B program, is also Founder and Principal of Wexford Solutions.  Ted can be reached at ted.slafsky@340Breport.com.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.