Issue Position: Prescription Drug Costs & Affordability

Issue Position

Issue
Prescription drug costs continue to rise, placing a significant burden on families and the state's budget. The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission found that in 2018, MA drug spending increased by over 4% from the previous year, more than twice as much as overall health care spending.

This means higher out-of-pocket costs for patients, who may be less able to afford and take medications that their doctors prescribe. Massachusetts has a process where most in the health care system have come to the table to work to lower health care costs - including hospitals, insurers, businesses, providers, and consumers.

The pharmaceutical industry, however, has not yet been held accountable to participate in addressing health care costs.

Christine's Plan
The goals of a bill that I have filed, H.1133, are to make drugs affordable to consumers, make pharmaceutical costs more transparent and affordable, contain MassHealth costs, and require the pharmaceutical industry to be part of health care cost containment. This comprehensive bill uses a variety of strategies to lower cost, including:

Providing transparency on the underlying costs to produce prescription drugs, in comparison to marketing and administrative expenses

Authorizing the state's independent Health Policy Commission to set upper payment limits for unreasonably high-priced drugs

Regulating and providing transparency for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)

Requiring pharmacists to inform consumers if purchasing a drug at the retail price would be cheaper than using their insurance

Providing tools to strengthen MassHealth's ability to negotiate lower drug prices for its patients

Creating "academic detailing", an evidence-based education program for prescribers

Supported by
The Massachusetts Prescription Drug Affordability Coalition, a growing and diverse coalition including advocacy organizations, unions, medical societies and health plans.

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