340B Program

San Mateo Medical Center is eligible to participate in the 340B program because we provide care to a disproportionate share of low-income Medicare and Medi-Cal (Medicaid) patients.

Benefits of the 340B Program
San Mateo Medical Center realized $12 million in savings through participation in the 340B program, which supports our ability to provide services to under- and uninsured patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and to address health care needs in our community. In addition to providing free and discounted prescription drugs to low-income patients, San Mateo Medical Center provides a variety of services to help care for the most vulnerable in our community, including:

• financial assistance to patients unable to afford their prescriptions;
• clinical pharmacy services, such as disease management programs or medication therapy management;
• other medical services, such as diabetes education, oncology services, and other ambulatory services;
• community outreach programs;
• preventive care and mental and behavioral health services;
• support in using alternative modes of pain management to reduce opioid use;
• free vaccinations for vulnerable populations;
• access to specialty care, such as oncology care, not otherwise available to many low-income individuals in the community; and
• discharge prescriptions as part of program efforts to reduce avoidable readmissions.

These services, and others, are valued at more than $61 million in charity care to our community.

Impact of Scaling Back the 340b Program
Scaling back the 340B Program would threaten San Mateo Medical Center’s capacity to offer the services described above to our patients.