Hawaii House Bill HR166

Hawaii 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/8/24
• Refer: 3/14/24
• Report Pass: 3/28/24
• Report Pass: 4/4/24
• Refer: 3/28/24
• Passed: 4/4/24

Caption

Urging The Governor, Department Of Human Services, And Department Of Health To Explore Avenues To Ensure Continued Access To Affordable Medications For The State's Underserved Populations Under The 340b Drug Pricing Program And Urging Hawaii's Congressional Delegation And Relevant Federal Agencies To Monitor Pharmaceutical Companies And Take Appropriate Actions To Protect The Integrity Of The 340b Drug Pricing Program.

Impact

This resolution emphasizes the need for state leadership to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, ensuring pharmacies and healthcare providers can effectively distribute affordable medications. It points to recent troubling trends where pharmaceutical companies have reportedly imposed restrictions that limit the ability of these eligible providers to utilize contracted pharmacies. Such restrictions threaten the program's sustainability and the ability of healthcare entities to serve their communities adequately. If enacted, this resolution may lead to initiatives aimed at monitoring and potentially enforcing better practices among pharmaceutical companies to uphold the essence of the 340B program.

Summary

House Resolution 166 urges the Governor of Hawaii, along with the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health, to explore methods to ensure continued access to affordable medications under the 340B Drug Pricing Program for the state's underserved populations. The 340B Program mandates pharmaceutical companies to provide outpatient drugs at significantly reduced costs to specific healthcare entities, such as federally qualified health centers and hospitals that serve a high proportion of low-income patients. Given the criticality of this program in maintaining health service accessibility, HR166 highlights its importance to vulnerable communities within Hawaii.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment surrounding HR166 is supportive, particularly among healthcare advocates and community organizations, who view the initiative as essential to safeguarding public health and ensuring that the needs of underserved populations are met. However, there may also be an element of concern regarding the effectiveness of the resolution in confronting the challenges posed by pharmaceutical companies. This issue broadly captures the ongoing struggle between healthcare affordability and pharmaceutical profit motives, making it a significant point of public discourse.

Contention

While HR166 does not appear to face outright opposition in terms of legislative support, there is an underlying contention related to the responsibility and practices of pharmaceutical companies. As the resolution calls for monitoring these entities to protect the integrity of the 340B program, discussions could arise regarding the balance of influence and lobbying efforts from both the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare advocates. The ongoing dialogue will likely center on how best to ensure equitable access to medications without compromising the principles of affordability that the 340B program purports to advance.