RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A U.S. Senate committee is demanding answers from Bon Secours on the use of its discount drug program, 340B, following accusations of the program’s misuse.
Richmond community members, city and state leaders have called on increased transparency following the release of a New York Times article accusing Bon Secours of misusing its 340N drug pricing program by buying medications at lower prices and not using the profits to benefit Richmond Community Hospital, located in the city’s East End.
Now, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is seeking answers as part of a federal investigation into how hospitals like Bon Secours spend their revenue.
In a letter sent to the hospital system, the HELP Committee asked Bon Secours to share information dating back to September of 2018 to help shed light onto how much revenue the drug pricing program generated and where that money went, among other questions.
8News reached out to Bon Secours for their response. A spokesperson responded with the following statement:
“Richmond Community Hospital operates its 340B program with the highest level of integrity. We look forward to cooperating with Senator Cassidy and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee regarding their inquiry, which continues to paint a misleading picture of the high-quality, compassionate care Richmond Community Hospital provides to the City of Richmond and the East End community. Contrary to the description in the request, Richmond Community Hospital is nationally recognized for its high-quality care, recently receiving an ‘A’ Safety Grade rating and being one of only 32 hospitals across the country designated as a 2022 Top General Hospital by The Leapfrog Group. Richmond Community Hospital provides critical access to mental health services and emergency care, being one of the few intensive mental health providers in the community and treating tens of thousands of emergency department patients annually.”
The HELP committee has asked Bon Secours to respond by October 12, 2023. A spokesperson from Bon Secours told 8News that, as of October 11, 2023 they are still reviewing the letter and will respond in “due time.”