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The Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act is a “bill that we all agree upon,” said James Brooks, CEO of Lawndale Christian Health Center, about the health centers and hospitals urging passage of HB 2371 SA 2.

“We are in this fight together,” Brooks said during a Feb. 1 rally for the bill, which cleared the Illinois Senate 55-0 and a House committee 12-0 last May.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and hospitals work together to support Illinois’ healthcare system. FQHCs provide essential primary care in low-income communities, referring patients to hospitals for specialized care. While hospitals and FQHCs are doing their part to care for vulnerable residents, pharmaceutical companies only care about their bottom line and are failing to do their part to support the healthcare safety net.

“340B is a lifeline for not only our patients that have to make a life and death decision every day of choosing to pay for drugs or other necessities of life,” said Mahomed Ouedraogo, CEO of Access Community Health Network. It’s also a “lifeline for every single community health center, every safety net hospital and our hospital partners.”

The rally’s impassioned speeches spoke to the legislation’s urgency, as Illinois expects to lose up to $57 billion in federal Medicaid funding over 10 years.

“We are standing up for those who are too often left behind, who are too often forgotten about,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Sinai Chicago President and CEO. “It’s time to act and protect 340B. It’s time for our legislators to vote YES for HB 2371.” Learn more.