CHICAGO — Hundreds of patients, healthcare workers, and advocates gathered in North Lawndale for the 340B Saves Lives Action Day, sending a unified message to Springfield: pass House Bill 2371 and protect affordable access to medications and care.

Dr. James Brooks, CEO of Lawndale Christian Health Center, opened the rally by framing the fight for 340B as both a moral obligation and a practical necessity. Speaking in a neighborhood long associated with civil rights organizing, Brooks stressed that community health centers and safety-net hospitals are united behind the bill, which would block pharmaceutical manufacturers from restricting access to 340B-discounted drugs.

“We are better together,” Brooks told the crowd. “We are not taking no for an answer.”

Speakers repeatedly warned that looming Medicaid cuts will put unprecedented pressure on providers already serving Illinois’ most vulnerable patients. Without 340B savings, Brooks cautioned, some clinics and hospitals could be forced to reduce services or close entirely.

Patient voices underscored the urgency. Chelsea Johnson, board chair of Lawndale Christian Health Center and a lifelong North Lawndale resident, shared her experience as a three-time cancer survivor living with multiple chronic conditions. She described how coordinated care supported by 340B savings has made her survival possible.

“Without the 340B program, affording my medications would be a serious challenge,” Johnson said. “This bill saves lives. Literally.”

Healthcare leaders echoed that message with data and real-world consequences. Mahomed Ouedraogo, CEO of ACCESS Community Health Network, said the math simply does not work without 340B. ACCESS serves roughly 150,000 patients annually, many forced to choose between medications and basic necessities.

“That’s the difference between us being here and not being here,” Ouedraogo said.

Physicians described how rising drug prices directly harm patients. Dr. Lisa Green of Family Christian Health Center recounted a case where a patient’s medication jumped from $260 to $1,100 in a single month. “All we need to do is just vote,” she said, urging lawmakers to act.

State Rep. Anna Moeller, the bill’s House sponsor, emphasized that HB 2371 passed the Senate unanimously and cleared the House Executive Committee unanimously. Only a concurrence vote remains in the House.

“Access to affordable medication is not a luxury,” Moeller said. “It’s a lifeline.”