Take Action Now! Protect Virginia’s Leading Life Sciences Industry and Patients
As Virginia lawmakers continue to examine potential solutions totackle high health care costs during the 2026 legislative session, maintaining patient access to essential medicines and preserving Virginia's competitive edge in attracting biomedical research investment must be a top priority. However, some lawmakers have introduced policy proposals that would harm Virginia patients more than help.
Senate Bill 278 (SB278) would expand the 340B program in Virginia, a federal initiative that has evolved into a profit center for some hospitals and for-profit corporations. Originally intended to help vulnerable patients access critical healthcare, many 340B hospitals and clinics and their contract pharmacies have taken advantage of the program to profit from discounted medications at the expense of Virginians. SB278 would allow the broken program to expand unchecked in Virginia, giving hospitals and pharmacies the ability to further profit from discounts intended for low-income and uninsured patients, raising costs for patients, businesses, and taxpayers, and weakening the impact of recent investments to make Virginia a national leader in life sciences and biotech research and development.
We need you to raise your voice.
Act now and send a letter to your state lawmakers urging them to reject SB278 and stop the expansion of a program that has strayed from its patient-focused mission. Take action now!
Dear [LAWMAKER NAME],
As your constituent, I urge you to oppose SB278, legislation that would expand the federal 340B program and allow large hospitals and for-profit corporations to continue profiting off Virginians.
SB278 would facilitate continued abuse of the federal 340B program, which Congress created to help low-income and uninsured patients access more affordable medications. Although well intended, the reality is many 340B hospitals are taking advantage of the program by buying discounted medicines and charging patients full price or more, profiting in the process. 340B hospitals and clinics can also partner with retail pharmacies–the majority of which are owned by the nation's largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) –which drives significant profits for these corporations as well.
This abuse impacts us all –increasing out-of-pocket costs for patients, driving billions of dollars a year in extra healthcare costs for employers, and reducing tax revenues that could be invested back into our community. Expansion of the program would worsen these issues and could threaten all the progress the Commonwealth has made to make Virginia a national powerhouse in life sciences and biotech research and development.
Please oppose SB278 and expansion of the 340B hospital markup program. Don't let Virginia hospitals and clinics continue to improve their bottom line at the expense of us
Thank you,
[CONSTITUENT NAME]
