The 340B Drug Pricing Program has become a critical lifeline for rural hospitals in Utah, particularly for those providing cancer treatment.
At Uintah Basin Medical Center in Roosevelt, the program makes the difference between offering comprehensive cancer care locally or requiring patients to travel hundreds of miles for treatment.
Why It Matters
Without the 340B program, rural hospitals would be unable to stock many essential cancer medications due to cost:
- A recent study at Uintah Basin Medical Center found that for approximately 15 drugs they regularly administer, the reimbursement from payers is less than the actual cost of the drugs
- Without 340B pricing, these life-saving medications would be financially impossible to provide
- Patients would face 300-mile round trips, often three times weekly, to receive the same treatments
The Big Picture
“The 340B program is imperative for what we do,” says Bobby Richardson, Vice President of Patient Services at Uintah Basin Medical Center. “We just did a study recently, and there are about 15 of the drugs that we administer that we would not even be able to purchase, because the reimbursement from our payers is less than what our cost of the drug would be to administer to our patients.”
The program enables rural facilities to:
- Provide the same level of cancer care available at larger facilities
- Allow patients to receive treatment close to home, surrounded by family and community
- Connect with specialists through telehealth partnerships with tertiary centers
“Telehealth is changing the health care environment, the landscape that we see. We’re able to provide care that we’ve never been able to provide in rural communities,” Richardson explains.
The Bottom Line
For rural communities across Utah, the 340B Drug Pricing Program makes the difference between comprehensive local cancer care and requiring patients to travel long distances.
As Richardson notes, “We’re not just treating patients. We’re treating family, friends, coworkers. People in our community that we know and interact with in every area of our lives. So these are not just patients for us.”