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OP-ED: Patients Over Profit Congress Can Improve 340B

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Drug manufacturers are required by law to make medicines available to charity hospitals and pharmacies at a steep discount, with the idea that these healthcare centers would in turn make the medicines available to local patients for free or nearly for free (regardless of ability to pay).
The post OP-ED: Patients Over Profit Congress Can Improve 340B first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

December 8, 2023

Oakland Post

Congressman Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House has an opportunity to work in a bipartisan manner with Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries and follow the lead of a group of six U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who formed a bi-partisan working group to find solutions that would provide stability and appropriate transparency to ensure the 340B program can continue to achieve its original intent of supporting entities serving eligible patients. Recently, the Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) released a report in which the senator called into question many of the practices we see today in the non-profit hospital industry. Referring to their tax-exempt status, the report observes that non-profit hospitals could play a significant role in delivering necessary care to Americans while also satisfying their charity care obligations. Instead, too often we learn that some of these hospitals are not directing these discounts to the patients they serve.

It takes decades to get anything big done in Washington, DC. That’s not something politicians there like to admit, but it’s true–nowhere more than in the complicated field of healthcare policy. When I first became a congressman in the early 1980s, I worked with Ben Chavis on Health Care issues for example, we didn’t have a prescription drug benefit for seniors. When I left the House a decade ago, seniors had access to lifesaving drugs, but the government lacked the power to negotiate prices with manufacturers. Last week the Biden Administration announced the first steps to setting up negotiations in Medicare made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. There is more that can be done, and Congress has an obligation to do more when it comes to making sure everyone has access to prescription medicines at affordable prices. Back in the early 1990s (with my support) Congress passed a law known as “340B” to do just that. Drug manufacturers are required by law to make medicines available to charity hospitals and pharmacies at a steep discount, with the idea that these healthcare centers would in turn make the medicines available to local patients for free or nearly for free (regardless of ability to pay).

Believe it or not, Congress is still trying to make the 340B program work three decades later. Hospitals today are rarely stand-alone concerns. They are usually part of broad, corporately owned networks consisting of healthcare facilities in neighborhoods ranging from poor to rich, and from urban to rural. If one hospital qualifies to get discounted 340B drugs, this shouldn’t matter–the local patients are the intended beneficiaries. But that’s not how hospital networks are using 340B. As seen recently in Richmond VA, too often hospital networks are happy to use their branches in poor areas to get 340B drugs into the pipeline, but then re-route these medicines throughout the hospital network to be sold at full price to patients of all income levels. As someone who voted for the original 340B law, I can assure you this was not Congressional intent. We wanted the drug companies to get affordable medicines to the patients who need them–we never intended for hospital networks to profit off this using clever redirection tactics.

Maybe that’s why a bipartisan group of U.S. senators recently requested information from stakeholders about how the 340B program is working. I was pleased to see so many traditional civil rights, and other healthcare leaders weigh in on these and make health care disparities a key civil rights issue. We applaud leaders such as Rev. Al Sharpton, Delegate Kathy Tran, Virginia House of Delegates, Linda Goler Blount, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Kevin Kimble, Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative, Bishop Dean Nelson, Frederick Douglass Foundation, to name a few for their advocacy efforts on this issue. We want to improve the 340B program Democrats and Republicans agree that the program should work the way Congress intended it to. The Biden Administration should ensure that hospitals and other entities are using the savings they obtain from the 340B program to help the patients who are supposed to be helped. Fixing 340B is the next step in ensuring health equity regarding prescription medicines.

Mr. Ed Towns, a civil rights activist, and a former Member of Congress from New York who served on the Congressional Black Caucus.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is presently the CEO & President of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

The post OP-ED: Patients Over Profit Congress Can Improve 340B first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY