LVHN’s hospitals, programs and services have a varied, rich history of 340B Program participation. Its programs in hemophilia treatment and HIV services have been enrolled as 340B participants since 2012. Its member hospitals and internal and external contract pharmacies all became eligible at varying points since January 2012.

For the programs in hemophilia treatment and HIV prevention/treatment, the savings realized from the 340B Program have enabled the services to expand over the years by providing staff to introduce new services or expand existing programs. Some of the programs and services directly traceable to 340B savings include:

Ryan White Part C Program

  • Case management services staffing
  • Funds to offset uncovered personal medical/dental expenses, transportation expenses and emergency financial assistance to prevent homelessness

Hemophilia treatment

  • Case management services staffing
  • Uncovered personal medical/supply expenses
  • Nursing support for in-home infusions
  • Transportation assistance
  • Genetic testing/counseling
  • Nutrition management

For participating hospitals, the presence of 340B savings has strengthened the health network’s financial position and created opportunities to expand services into new markets that will benefit at-risk population groups:

  • Affiliations/mergers with other institutions to expand programs and services into a greater number of communities, many in rural, traditionally underserved areas
  • Construction of two new micro-hospitals to provide better access to primary and emergency care in underserved rural areas
  • Creation of new primary care practices and increases in staff at existing locations, mainly in small community rural areas

LVHN, through the Community Health Needs Assessment Program (CHNA), has introduced new initiatives, with community input, many directed toward the specific needs of the underserved. This is made possible by the organization’s financial strength, which originates from many sources, including the 340B Program.

Over the next three years, based on the most recent 2019 CHNA survey, LVHN and its community partners will focus on five critical areas of need in the communities served by the network across its service area, including:

  • Behavioral health
  • Access to care for vulnerable populations
  • Inclusion and diversity
  • Health promotion and prevention
  • Social determinants of health

The CHNA process includes continually measuring the results of implemented initiatives, including the reach of the implemented programs, such as number of participants; number of events; impact of initiatives, including obtaining health insurance, improvement in behavioral health outcomes and improvement in healthy eating; and an analysis to show the economic and social value of the initiatives.

The savings generated from the 340B Program enable LVHN to offer care, program and services to meet the needs of the most vulnerable patients within its service area by contributing to its ability “to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients, and providing more comprehensive services,” which is the primary purpose of the 340B Program.

Hospital Programs DSH % Uncompensated Unreimbursed Care Estimated Annual 340B Savings Nearest Hospital/Program Distance
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest 12.63 $52.1M $51.3M 8 miles
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono 12.27 $2.5M $4.5M 50 miles
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton 13.09 $3.7M $4.0M 25 miles
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill 17.54 $4.0M $3.5M 45 miles
Non-Hospital Programs DSH % Uncompensated Unreimbursed Care Estimated Annual 340B Savings Nearest Hospital/Program Distance
Comprehensive Health Services (Ryan White Part C) N/A N/A $2.9M 8 miles
Hemophilia Treatment Program N/A N/A $3.2M 60 miles

 

About the 340B Program

The 340B prescription drug program, administered by the Health Resources & Services Administration, is a vital lifeline for safety-net providers, supporting critical health services in our communities. The program is narrowly tailored to reach only hospitals that provide a high level of services to low-income individuals or that serve isolated rural communities. Savings from the 340B Program help hospitals meet the health care needs of underserved patients across the country.