DPC Calls on South Dakota Senators to Oppose SB154 340B Expansion

The Domestic Policy Caucus today wrote to members of the South Dakota Senate's Health & Human Services Committee, urging them to oppose an expansion of the 340B drug pricing program in their state, as contained in Senate Bill 154.

In the letter, DPC wrote, "...An expansion of 340B would hand over even more economic power to massive, national chain pharmacies that have driven so many local, mom-and-pop pharmacies out of business over the past several years... An expansion of 340B would create an economic environment in which incentives would be put in place to encourage even more consolidation of healthcare systems, to put healthcare farther out of reach of rural South Dakotans, and to imperil the ability of underserved residents to receive the medications they need, all while lining the pockets of big healthcare systems and giant chain pharmacies... As you know, pharmacies are essential to the communities they serve. But in South Dakota and throughout America, independent drugstores are struggling... South Dakota is in the top four states with the most counties having insufficient access to a drugstore."

Read the full letter here.

DPC Urges Nebraska Legislature to Oppose LB168 340B Program Expansion

Domestic Policy Caucus Secretary/Treasurer Kent Kaiser, Ph.D., today wrote to members of the Nebraska Legislature's Banking, Commerce, and Insurance Committee, urging them to oppose LB168, which would expand the 340B program in the state.

Here are some excerpts of the DPC letter to Nebraska lawmakers: "If they were made aware of it, most Nebraskans probably would find it baffling that their state legislature is considering the expansion of a massive federal healthcare mandate. It’s troubling that this appears to be happening with little discussion about the financial impacts of the policy or about the impact on rural Nebraskans... What’s more is that an expansion of 340B would hand over even more economic power to massive, national chain pharmacies that have driven so many local, mom-and-pop pharmacies out of business over the past several years... As you know, pharmacies are essential to the communities they serve. But in Nebraska and throughout America, independent drugstores are struggling... Nebraska is in the top four states with the most counties having insufficient access to a drugstore."

Read the full letter here.