ADAP Advocacy has published two new infographics examining the relationship between the 340B Drug Pricing Program and medical debt in the United States. The infographics, part of the organization's "340B Too Big to Fail" advocacy campaign, reveal troubling disparities between the program's original intent and its current impact on patient finances. The first infographic, "340B Too Big to Fail – Medical Debt – Part 1," demonstrates how the 340B program was designed to help low-income patients access healthcare services. Despite the program growing to $66 billion in size, primarily benefiting hospitals, medical debt continues to burden many Americans. Most concerning is that the majority of this debt is owed to hospitals that qualify for 340B program participation.
The second infographic, "340B Too Big to Fail – Medical Debt – Part 2," documents how many 340B-participating hospitals employ aggressive, predatory debt collection practices that often damage consumer credit reports. These hospitals are choosing not to set reasonable prices or offer robust financial assistance programs, instead opting to sue patients rather than provide free charity care as required by law. The infographic series is available for download at https://www.adapadvocacy.org/publications.html#i and serves as part of ADAP Advocacy's ongoing national campaign questioning whether the 340B Drug Pricing Program has become "too big to fail."
The organization's findings suggest that while the program has expanded significantly, its benefits are not adequately reaching the patients it was designed to serve, resulting in continued financial hardship for vulnerable populations. This publication comes at a critical time when medical debt remains a leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States, raising important questions about the accountability and oversight of federal healthcare programs. The infographics provide visual evidence of systemic issues within the 340B program that warrant further examination by policymakers and healthcare advocates. The implications extend beyond individual patient suffering to broader concerns about healthcare equity and the effectiveness of federal safety net programs that have grown exponentially without corresponding improvements in patient outcomes.
The report highlights a fundamental disconnect between the 340B program's expansion and its actual impact on reducing medical debt. With hospitals benefiting financially from the program while simultaneously pursuing patients for unpaid bills, the system appears to be failing its intended beneficiaries. This situation creates ethical and policy dilemmas about how to realign the program with its original mission of serving vulnerable populations. The findings challenge assumptions about the program's effectiveness and call for greater transparency in how 340B savings are utilized by participating institutions. As medical debt continues to devastate American households, this analysis provides crucial evidence that program reforms may be necessary to address systemic failures in healthcare financing.
