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Prescription Drug Discount Programs are a Vital Lifeline for Trillium Health
Trillium Health is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike that depends on the ability to buy prescription medicine at a reduced price in order to provide comprehensive healthcare services and medicines at little-to-no cost to its patients through the federal 340B drug discount program. The reduction of 340B savings would severely impact Trillium Heath’s ability to provide extraordinary care for people from all backgrounds, regardless of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, or ethnicity.
"This place is a lifeline. It's everything to me... to all of us."
- Beau
At Trillium Health, we serve the underserved.
Many of Trillium Health’s patients have complex needs, high rates of chronic conditions, and high rates of social risk factors associated with poor health outcomes, such as poverty and homelessness. Our community health center has successfully promoted health equity in Rochester and the Finger Lakes thanks to the critically important savings derived from the 340B program.
A Successful, Growing Agency
Trillium Health has a multidisciplinary team approach to patient-centered care that includes medical providers, nurses, clinical pharmacists, dietitians, care managers and peer navigators.
- Trillium Health served 10,025 patients in 2020, which represents a 288% increase in the patient census over the last 5 years.
- Our medical providers saw patients more than 37,789 times in 2020. Last year, the clinic had an average of 3,144 visits per month – an increase of 67% from the previous year.
- Trillium Health launched a mobile access clinic in 2019, bringing healthcare to low-income families who lack transportation or believe that finances are a barrier to care.
- Trillium Health serves everyone – regardless of their ability to pay. In 2020, 35% of our patients were on Medicaid, 11% were on Medicare, and 4% had other public health insurance or were self-paid.
COVID-19
- In the early days of COVID-19, the 340B program helped fund the initial Respiratory Evaluation and Testing Area to address the lack of access to COVID-19 testing disproportionally affecting communities of color and low-income families living in poverty.
- In addition, our mobile access clinic and our partnerships with public housing facilities and other community partners significantly increased testing in high-priority populations.
- To date, we have conducted 16,618 COVID-19 tests for 6,476 patients and community members.
- Trillium Health also promoted health equity by prioritizing COVID-19 vaccines for communities of color and vulnerable patients.
- To date we've administered the COVID-19 vaccine to 1,800 high-risk patients and community members – which is increasing every day.
Communities of Color
- Trillium Health is dedicated to serving communities of color. From 2017-2020, we’ve experienced a 117% increase in our Black/African American patients.
- People of color are at higher risk of being infected by HIV and poorer health outcomes. Therefore, Trillium Health encourages all high-risk patients to consider pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is a medication that’s 99% effective in preventing HIV. Among our PrEP patients, 24% are non-White and 20% are Black.
- People who are transgender often face stigma in society – especially transgender people of color. Trillium Health’s transgender population is 18% non-White.
- Trillium Health has prioritized COVID-19 testing for communities of color. To date, we have tested 1,745 people of color for the coronavirus by bringing care directly into communities with our mobile access clinic.
- Trillium Health runs the MOCHA Center, which connects LGBTQ people of color with events and programs that promote healthy living and support. Last year, MOCHA staff provided 174 HIV tests and linkages to care.
HIV and Hepatitis C
- In February of 2020, we exceeded 1,000 active PrEP patients. Over the past few years, we have provided PrEP and PEP to more than 2,700 unique individuals.
- Additionally, our success can be attributed to the rapid start program, which quickly gets patients on an antiretroviral (ART) regimen upon a positive rapid HIV test.
- Trillium Health also has a Hepatitis C Center of Excellence. 93% of our patients achieve a sustained virologic response (SVR) – effectively curing 72 people of the disease.
LGBTQ Communities
- Loss of even a portion of 340B savings would adversely and disproportionally affect our LGBTQ+ populations, as they are the primary recipients of our PrEP, PEP, and STI testing programs. In the past year, we’ve tested more than 5,400 patients.
- Our transgender population would also be severely impacted. Our Transgender Center of Excellence has grown 62% since 2018. As of 2020, there are 943 patients actively utilizing our services.
Community Outreach
- Trillium Health redirects savings from the 340B program to supplement community outreach programs. For example, our syringe exchange program had 5,686 encounters through 2020.
- 340B also supports NARCAN training to reverse overdoses in our community, and removes barriers to care, such as housing and transportation.
- 340B supports outreach, education, testing and linkage to care though programs within schools, colleges/universities, festivals, health fairs, and more.
- Trillium Health oversees nutrition education programs and runs a food pantry.
The Absence of 340B Savings Will Reverse Achievements in
Health Equity
The reduction of 340B savings would have a devastating impact on Trillium Health. It would threaten our patients with HIV, and it would undermine our success in addressing health disparities, particularly within communities of color. Finally, the timing couldn’t be any worse – COVID-19 already has disproportionately affected communities of color and people with preexisting conditions.