The 340B Drug Pricing Program was created to help underserved patients access affordable medications. But today, its impact is being diminished by limited transparency and growing complexity across the system.

GCOA’s policy brief, “340B Reform: Recommendations to Support Healthy Aging & Health Innovation,” explores how gaps in oversight and program design may be driving misaligned incentives — contributing to drug price markups, reduced charity care, and rising costs for employers, families, and the broader healthcare system. For older adults, who often rely on prescription medications to manage chronic conditions like cancer, HIV, and heart disease, these challenges can make it harder to access timely and affordable care.

The brief calls for targeted federal reforms to improve transparency, tighten eligibility, and strengthen oversight — ensuring the program better supports equitable access and healthy aging in line with its original mission.