In an op-ed submitted to the South Dade News Leader, Florida state Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell announces her support of the 340B program and pledges to fight to protect it. The 340B program is one of the most important sources of affordable, critical care for the residents of South Florida. In her op-ed, Rep. Mucarsel-Powell states:
The fact that the 340B program can help hospitals at nearly opposite ends of our district that serve two very different communities is a testament to the great success of the 340B program. The savings may be passed onto patients in the form of free prescriptions to those living with low incomes. Or they may go toward funding specialized oncology care in towns where the next-closest provider is hours away. Or they might help a financially-struggling hospital in a rural community keep its doors open to the community. The 340B program allows each hospital to direct the savings towards areas and services that the communities need because they know what the needs are.
Rep. Mucarsel-Powell states that she is doing everything she can “to stand up to President Trump’s attacks on affordable care and pass bipartisan legislation to improve health care access and affordability across South Florida.” The Florida House has passed legislation to eliminate “junk insurance” plans that don’t cover a wide range of health services and often don’t cover preexisting conditions, as well as legislation to ensure patients with preexisting conditions cannot be discriminated against in the health care system. The Florida legislature has also passed a compilation of bills that will take steps to lower the cost of prescription drug prices.
To read the full op-ed from Rep. Mucarsel-Powell, please click here.
