Deirdre Cummings
Legislative Director, MASSPIRG
617-747-4319
[email protected]
Statement: State bill to lower the high cost of prescription drugs passes Senate
Media Contacts
MASSPIRG
BOSTON – By an overwhelming majority (39-1) the Massachusetts Senate passed S.2651, An Act relative to pharmaceutical access, costs and transparency. The bill aims to rein in rapidly rising prescription drug costs, by bringing drug companies and pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) into the state health care cost oversight process. They will join health insurers and providers. This annual oversight process keeps health care costs in check, improves transparency and promotes accountability within the healthcare industry.
In response, MASSPIRG issued the following statement:
MASSPIRG’s Legislative Director Deirdre Cummings
“MASSPIRG praises the leadership of Senate President Karen Spilka, chief bill sponsor Senator Cindy Friedman, and the Senate for passing critical reforms to rein in high prescription drug and health care costs.
Out of control skyrocketing drug prices not only harm consumers as they struggle to pay for them, or if they can not afford them, skip or reduce their needed medication, but those high drug prices are a leading cause of increase in health insurance costs.
The bill closes a massive loophole in the state’s health care cost oversight process by requiring drug manufacturers and PBMs to join health insurers and providers in the law preventing total health care costs from exceeding cost benchmarks set by regulators.”
