Government Program Abuses
Some hospitals exploit federal government programs, like the 340B Safety-Net Drug Program, which provides significant discounts on outpatient prescription drugs—provided by the manufacturers—to certain hospitals and healthcare organizations. Unfortunately, some hospitals are pocketing these savings, instead of passing those benefits on to the patients, investing in improving care in underserved communities, or protecting uninsured patients. This is a problem that concerns nurses across America. When hospitals prioritize profits over patient needs, this leads to insufficient resources, vulnerable patients, and a lack of transparency in how these federal discounts are being used.
