A carve out provision in the state's health care safety net that could make it harder to obtain prescription drugs is being opposed by a national organization of HIV/AIDS medical providers. 

The New York chapter of Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access is opposing the move, launching a campaign to draw attention to the issue that will include grassroots advocacy, paid and earned media as well as a social and digital media presence. 

At issue is a change in the state's Medicaid program and included in the state budget that removed a federal benefit from health care providers and patients. The move affects those providers that participate in the federal discount drug program 304B. 

The move would lead to the Medicaid program in New York carving out the pharamcy benefit from the managed care program and shifting payment of drugs that are covered under it to a fee-for-service reimbursement plan. 

The concern is that if the change is implemented, safety net hospitals and providers that use the 340B discount drug program would be negatively financially impacted. 

And the concern over the change is compounded amid a global pandemic and resulting economic crisis. 

“In the rush to approve this year’s budget, a little-noticed provision was adopted that would devastate community health centers across New York State," said Andrea DeMeo, President and CEO of Trillium Health.

"The same clinics that have been fighting COVID-19 will be forced to eliminate services or close – leaving people living in poverty without access to testing, food pantries, transportation and housing assistance, STI screening and treatment, and programs to fight the opioid epidemic. In addition, clinics that have been battling HIV/AIDS for decades will be financially devastated, reversing all of the progress that we’ve made in the fight against HIV. Therefore, we are calling on the governor and state legislators to reverse this harmful carve out."