Hospitals that buy drugs at steep discounts through the federal 340B program spent a smaller share of their budgets on charity care than hospitals outside the program, according to a new analysis of nearly 4,000 facilities. The report from the Pioneer Institute and CancerCare, released September 24, found that 340B hospitals devoted 2.16% of operating expenses to charity care, compared with 2.82% at hospitals that do not take part in the program.
The gap was similar for care given to uninsured patients. Participating hospitals spent 1.60% of operating expenses on that care, while non-participating hospitals spent 2.26%, the authors reported.
