There are many things that set the 340B program apart from other federal prescription drug programs, namely that patients are not the primary beneficiary. While in other programs, patients qualify for Medicaid or Medicare based on clear eligibility criteria, hospitals and clinics qualify for 340B based on very loose criteria and then receive discounts on many medicines without appropriate safeguards. Those entities decide if they want to share any of those discounts with patients since it isn’t required under the 340B program.
