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Millions of New Yorkers are one surprise hospital bill away from falling into medical debt. Over 100 million Americans have had or currently have medical debt. Too often, that medical debt is pursued aggressively by hospitals participating in the 340B drug pricing program, a federal initiative that ensures low-income and uninsured patients have access to affordable medications.

All the while, many of those same hospitals are manipulating 340B to boost profits — and New York legislators seem poised to pour fuel on that fire.

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The 340B program allows eligible hospitals and clinics to purchase outpatient medications at discounted prices to ensure patients have access to affordable treatments. But increasingly, 340B drug discounts are not being passed along to those who need them most. The problem is there’s no federal requirement for hospitals to pass 340B savings on to patients — or even to report how those discounts are used. As a result, savings from discounts flow into “nonprofit” hospitals with little oversight and zero guarantees that low-income,........

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