Op-Ed: Washington can lower health care costs

Washingtonians are struggling to afford already high health care costs, and those costs keep climbing. Sadly, I’ve seen this firsthand in my rheumatology practice, where patients are faced with expensive, complex drugs to manage their symptoms. In 2019 alone, spending jumped 6.2% to $47.9 billion. Employers, families, and taxpayers are all feeling the strain. Something must change. One little-known federal program, the 340B Drug Pricing Program, is quietly making things worse. Created by Congress in 1992, 340B allows qualifying hospitals and clinics to buy prescription drugs at steep discounts, typically 25–50%, with the expectation that the savings would help vulnerable patients. While there are some good players in the system, too many hospital systems are using 340B to turn massive profits by buying drugs at 340B discounted prices and then charging patients and health plans the full price. It would be one thing if those profits were be