NCL welcomes the 340B ACCESS Act
May 30, 2024
Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Consumers League welcomes the introduction of the 340B Affording Care for Communities and Ensuring a Strong Safety-Net Act (340B ACCESS Act), which makes needed reforms to protect the 340B program from misuse while lowering drug costs for low-income patients. We are particularly supportive of the proposed ban on aggressive debt collection practices as a condition for hospitals participating in the program. Such practices are unacceptable and out of sync with the mission of a safety-net provider.
Just this week the Wall Street Journal featured an article highlighting the aggressive debt collection practices of a rural Kansas hospital that is suing low-income patients over unpaid medical bills. This legislation ensures that hospitals cannot exploit their 340B status to deny patients who need access to charity care and then sue them for medical debt.
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit nclnet.org.
