FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2024
Contact: Nathan Click, nathan@click-comms.com

Nine patient groups also unveil their support for the initiative that will bring much-needed accountability to public health dollars.

PPN would close a major loophole in a federal safety net program that has allowed the misuse of millions meant to help patients.

SACRAMENTO— Today, the Protect Patients Now Act commenced submission of over 900,000 signatures to secure a spot on the November 2024 ballot. The proposed 2024 ballot initiative only needs 565,415 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot. The initiative will close a major loophole in health safety net programs that has allowed poorly-run providers to misuse and waste hundreds of millions of dollars meant for patients.

“Accountability and transparency are needed in the 340B program to ensure public healthcare dollars are directly spent to help low-income and vulnerable patients secure the medications they need,” said Peter So, Executive Director, SF Hep B Free. “For too long, bad actors have utilized this program to generate revenue without any obligation to use the revenue to assist those the 340B program was specifically designed to serve. It does a disservice to all of us when good-meaning programs are abused. Passing the Protect Patients Now Act is one step to reining in this abuse.”

Nine patient groups, including Hep B Free San Francisco, simultaneously announced their support of the initiative: ALS Association, Looms For Lupus, Defeating Epilepsy Foundation, Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc., We Win Foundation, AiArthritis, Support Fibromyalgia Network, and San Francisco Cancer Women’s Network.

PPN establishes important transparency and accountability safeguards to ensure an important federal drug discount program, 340B, can actually fulfill its purpose in California of helping healthcare providers treat more low-income patients. Sadly, a handful of healthcare organizations have abused the program for their own gain – in the process wasting millions meant for low-income patients and avoiding accountability. The Protect Patients Now Act will force the worst abusers of the drug discount program to make sure 98% of funds generated from the 340B program in California actually go to treating low-income patients. This measure focuses only on the program’s worst offenders, putting in place new accountability measures to ensure they are appropriately using taxpayer dollars.

Californians can stop these drug pricing scams and close this loophole in the drug discount program. Stop the prescription drug pricing scam and vote yes on the Protect Patients Now Act.