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Prescription drugs and their increasing cost is going to be addressing in a bill. It will be scheduling to come up for a vote in the Massachusetts Senate this week.

Prescription Drugs – Public Health Risk

In fact, the legislation has established a process for therefore identifying drug price thresholds. Therefore, it would pose a public health risk. Then to recommend pricing measures to increase patients this access to necessary medications.

Drug Manufacturers

Also, the drug manufacturers do fail to comply with the process would be requiring to pay a fee into a trust fund. It would be for a new drug cost assistance program to support patients with certain chronic health conditions. They would then disproportionately harm the communities of color and low-income communities.

Out-of-Pocket Spending

There is out-of-pocket spending on insulin, the legislation has said. It would eliminate deductibles and coinsurance. Plus, go on to permanently capping co-pays at $25 per 30-day supply. Moreover, there are twenty-one other states which do already cap co-payments for insulin.

The bill would also take steps to provide patients with greater access to mail-order prescriptions and to ensure patients can get their prescription drugs from the pharmacy they choose by letting independent pharmacists become licensed to dispense specialty drugs and contract with insurance plans to provide specialty medications to patients.

Negotiating Lower Drug Prices

In fact, Americans do strongly support empowering the federal government to actually negotiate lowering drug prices. “8 in 10 Americans do prefer major government action to the controlling of prices over concerns that it may hurt innovation and competition from the pharmaceutical industry.” This is according to a West Health/Gallup survey. It can then go on to support the cuts across ideological lines.

One Prescription Medicine

Also, some 60% of American adults do take at least one prescription medicine. Moreover, as many as 25% of adults do take four or more medicines. In fact, despite having health insurance, some can hardly afford to pay for their own medications. Therefore, Americans do pay 250% more for prescription medications than citizens of other wealthy nations.