In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian breaks down the 340B drug pricing program through the lens that matters most: what it means for patients. Prompted by Minnesota’s latest transparency report, he explains how a program originally created to support care for uninsured and underinsured patients has grown into one of the largest and least understood drug programs in the country. 
 
Dr. Popovian unpacks how the program works, why contract pharmacies have become such a major part of it, and what the newest data suggest about who is benefiting most. He also raises a critical question: if hospitals and affiliated entities are receiving deep discounts on medicines, why are so many patients still facing high out-of-pocket costs? 
 
This episode explores whether the 340B program is truly delivering on its original mission and why greater transparency, accountability, and patient benefit should be at the center of the conversation. 

Minnesota 340B Covered Entity Report 2025

Minnesota 340B Covered Entity Report 2024

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Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org

A podcast series produced by Amelia Violet Prouse.

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