200+ Demonstrators to Tell U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) to Drop His Bill Gutting 340B Drug Discount Program

San Diego Protest Feb. 22^nd 10:30am - Peters’ District Office

U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA, 52^nd District)—who has taken more than $100,000 in contributions from the drug industry while in Congress—co-sponsored legislation with Congressman Larry Bucshon (R-IN, 8^th District) that stops new, eligible non-profit hospitals from joining the 340B drug pricing program.

H.R. 4710 is a moratorium on new enrollment in 340B that strangles non-profit hospitals with useless red tape, ultimately leading to a reduction in healthcare—including for many individuals in Peters’ own district.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A group of more than 200 picketers concerned about an ongoing assault by the pharmaceutical industry on a drug price discount program utilized by many non-profit hospitals and community clinics to help them provide medical care and services to low-income individuals and underserved populations, are expected at a robust demonstration and picket line in front of the district office of San Diego Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA, 52^nd District) on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22^nd starting at 10:30 AM.

Peters introduced the bill with co-sponsor Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D., (R-IN, 8^th District) in late December with little public notice or input.

WHAT:	DRUG PRICING DEMONSTRATION—advocates to protest San Diego Congressman Scott Peters, who introduced a bill gutting 340B drug discount program.
WHEN:	Thursday, February 22, 2018 10:30 am to 11:30 am
WHERE:	In front of: Congressman Scott Peters’ District Office
	4350 Executive Drive, Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92121
WHO:	Over 200 drug pricing & HIV/AIDS advocates protest U.S. Rep. Scott Peters

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Imara Canady, AHF Communications & Community Engagement [e-mail] - +1.954.952.0258 mobile
Ged Kenslea, AHF Communications +1.323.791.5526 [e-mail]

The demonstrators will denounce and protest Peters’ introduction of federal legislation (H.R. 4710) that will gut the 340B program, a federally-administered drug discount program created to extend the lifeline of care and services that safety net hospitals and providers are able to deliver. The bill stops hospitals from participating in the 340B drug pricing discount program. The 340B program costs the government and taxpayers nothing.

“The 340B program is under continual assault by the drug industry, which views it as a growing threat to the industry’s profits, as the price discounts in the program come directly from the drug companies, NOT from taxpayers or the government, which administers the program,” said Tracy Jones, National Director of Advocacy Campaigns for AHF, which is spearheading the Peters demonstration. “We are demonstrating at Congressman Peters’ office to pull back the curtain on this being anything but a pharma-backed attack on 340B and urge the congressman to reconsider his sponsorship of this ill-advised bill.”

“Any legislation seeking to ‘reform’ or ‘improve’ 340B should be read for what it really is: a direct attack on a worthy program that is working well, helping those in need and one that costs the government nothing,” said John Hassell, National Director of Advocacy for AHF. “It’s an assault by pharma through willing legislators like Congressmen Peters, who have taken pharma’s money and do their bidding, regardless of the potential impact on the health and wellbeing of countless Americans—including many of their own constituents.”

Thursday’s protest in San Diego follows a similar, but smaller late December protest against Congressman Peters in San Diego and a January 2018 protest targeting H.R. 4710’s co-sponsor, Indiana Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D., at his Terra Haute, IN district office.

About the 340B Program

The 340B program was enacted by Congress as part of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 to allow designated safety net medical providers, called “covered entities”, to purchase prescription outpatient drugs directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers at discounted prices. As a discount program, 340B costs federal taxpayers and the government nothing. Congress itself expressed that the goal of the program is “to enable [covered entities] to stretch scarce Federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services.”¹

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 872,000 individuals in 39 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us @aidshealthcare.

For information on the campaign to preserve 340B, please visit: www.let340B.org

¹ House Report No. 102–384(II), September 22, 1992, Page 12.