Nobody should have to choose between basic necessities like paying for rent and groceries or the prescription drugs they need to live. The rising cost of prescription drugs is the single greatest contributor to rising premiums and out of pocket costs.
Maryland has made considerable gains in ensuring that quality healthcare is more affordable and accessible for residents of our state. However, expensive life-saving drugs– some of which are close to six figures for treatment– threaten to derail the progress made in expanding health coverage. To contain rising healthcare costs, we must contain skyrocketing prescription drug costs.
The Prescription Drug Affordability Board
In 2019 Maryland became the first state in the nation to have a Prescription Drug Affordability Board which will work to make high cost prescription drugs more affordable for Marylanders (Summary of the Law, Polling of Maryland’s Support)
But in May 2020, Governor Larry Hogan vetoed legislation (SB 669/HB 1095) to create a permanent funding source for the Board by assessing a small fee on pharmaceutical corporations, pharmacy benefits managers, and insurers. By vetoing this critical piece of legislation, the Governor is putting the interests of the rich pharmaceutical corporations over the concerns of Maryland patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic we will need the Board more than ever to help make sure Marylanders can afford the vaccines and treatments they will need. The majority of Marylanders disagree with Governor Hogan’s veto.
In 2021 we successfully urged the Maryland General Assembly to override the veto. See our full statement and read the most recent news. The Board is set to publish their report by the end of 2022. We coordinated a panel of local leaders to urge the Stakeholder Council and the Board to take swift and decisive action to provide relief to Marylanders. See the letter from these leaders here.
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Read our report
Our coalition hosted a series of public forums across the state to talk with Marylanders about the costs of health care and new affordability programs.
Couldn’t attend an event but still want to get involved and share your thoughts? We want to hear from you! Send us your story through the form below.
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Encourage your organization to join hundreds of faith, business, labor and other organizations working to make prescription drugs more affordable.
Past Advocacy:
2018 Elimination of the “Gag Rule” on Pharmacists
In 2018, together we helped Maryland become the eleventh state in the nation to ban the so-called “gag rule” by which some Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers prohibit pharmacists from telling consumers about the least expensive way to purchase their drugs.
2017 Maryland’s Anti-Price Gouging Law
In 2017, we helped Maryland become the first state to grant the Attorney General the authority to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for “unconscionable” increases in the prices of generic or off-patent drugs. Unfortunately the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that this law is unconstitutional.
