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Force for Health · Population Health Tools

Are you leaving 340B savings on the table?

The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program lets safety-net providers buy outpatient drugs at deep discounts and reinvest the savings in patient care. Many eligible organizations never enroll — and many enrolled ones capture only a fraction of what they could. This 5-minute self-assessment finds your gap and hands you a personalized action brief.

Be a Force for Health: Tip of the Day — Enrollment is a one-time opportunity. Capture is an everyday one.

Choose your path

Pick the lens that fits you. Each track follows the Force for Health Learn It · Live It · Share It path.

Who are you assessing for?

The Organization track is the full readiness audit. Provider and Patient tracks are quick briefs.

Provider & Staff Brief: Every encounter counts

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Dr. Rob: Think of a 340B-eligible encounter like a stamp on a passport. The savings only count if the visit is documented as your organization's care. No stamp, no trip — no matter how sick the patient was. Your charting is what unlocks the discount that funds the next patient's care.

A prescription generally qualifies only when your organization provided the care that led to it, the prescriber is properly mapped to a registered site, and the encounter is documented in the record. Here's where savings quietly slip away:

1. Referral prescriptions go untracked

When you refer a patient out, those scripts can still qualify if your organization keeps responsibility for the patient's overall care — but only if someone owns the workflow that links the referral back to eligibility. Untracked referrals are one of the biggest sources of missed savings.

2. The provider isn't mapped

If a prescriber isn't correctly attached to a registered site in the system, otherwise-eligible claims are dropped. New hires, locums, and new clinic locations are common blind spots.

3. Documentation doesn't establish the relationship

Eligibility rests on an encounter that shows your organization provided care and that care led to the prescription. Thin notes can't reproduce that link if an auditor asks.

4. Data mismatches break the match

A name as "Bob" in one system and "Robert" in another, or a date-of-birth typo, can silently disqualify an eligible claim during matching.

✅ Care-team capture checklist

  • Document the encounter so it clearly shows our care led to the prescription.
  • Confirm new prescribers and new sites are mapped before they start writing scripts.
  • Flag referrals where we retain responsibility for overall care.
  • Keep patient identifiers (name, DOB) consistent across EHR and pharmacy.
  • Treat a "disqualified" claim as a question to investigate, not a dead end.
This is staff education, not compliance or legal advice. Your 340B program lead and your third-party administrator own the official eligibility rules and documentation policy. Confirm specifics with HRSA guidance and your compliance team.

Is your clinic a 340B site? Here's what it can mean for you.

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Dr. Rob: Here's the everyday version. 340B is a program that lets certain clinics and hospitals — the ones that care for a lot of folks with tight budgets — buy your medicines at a big discount. Think of it like a co-op buying in bulk so the whole neighborhood pays less. The clinic keeps some of that savings and often turns it right back into help for patients: lower-cost prescriptions, a sliding scale, free vaccines, a pharmacist who walks you through your meds. You won't see "340B" on a sign. But it might be quietly working for you — if you know to ask.

Which places might be 340B sites?

Community health centers (FQHCs), Ryan White HIV clinics, family planning and TB clinics, tribal and urban Indian health programs, and many rural and safety-net hospitals. If a clinic advertises a sliding fee scale or "we see everyone regardless of ability to pay," there's a good chance.

What it can mean for your prescriptions

Lower out-of-pocket costs on some medicines, access to a discount or medication-assistance program, and sometimes an on-site or partner pharmacy that fills at a reduced price. Benefits vary by clinic — the program saves the clinic money, and each clinic decides how to pass it along.

💬 Questions to ask at your clinic or pharmacy

  • "Is this clinic part of the 340B program?"
  • "Do you have a discount or sliding-scale price on my prescriptions?"
  • "Is there a medication-assistance program I might qualify for?"
  • "Which pharmacy should I use to get the best price through this clinic?"
  • "Can a pharmacist review all my medicines with me?"
This is general health information, not medical or financial advice. Eligibility and prices depend on your clinic, pharmacy, and insurance. Ask your care team for what applies to you.