By Bob Katzen
Gov. Maura Healey signed into law legislation (S 3012) that supporters say would lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Provisions include requiring insurers to eliminate cost-sharing requirements for one generic drug and to cap co-payments on one brand-name drug at $25 per 30-day supply for diabetes, asthma and certain heart conditions. It also ensures that consumers are not charged a co-pay if it would be cheaper for them to purchase a drug without using their insurance. Another provision requires insurers to provide continuity of coverage for new members’ existing prescriptions when they switch to a new plan.
She also signed into law another bill (H 5159) that that supporters say will enhance the market review process and close loopholes in the health care market regulatory process, including gaps in oversight that were exploited for years by Steward Health Care and Ralph de la Torre.
This measure expands the scope of data collection and public review of health care and health care transactions by the Health Policy Commission (HPC) and the Center for Health Analysis and Information with the goal of increasing visibility and accountability for transactions involving private owners of health care resources.
It also includes a provision establishing a primary care task force, co-chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh and the Executive Director of the HPC. The task force will study primary care access, delivery and payment, develop recommendations to stabilize and strengthen the primary care system, increase recruitment and increase financial investment and patient access.
“We know that one of the biggest strains on Massachusetts family’s budgets is the high health care costs,” said Gov. Healey. “These new laws will lower out-of-pocket costs by capping copays at $25 for lifesaving prescription medications and increasing transparency in the industry. They also close loopholes in our regulatory processes so that for-profit providers like Steward Health Care are subject to the same transparency rules as non-profit providers. As attorney general, I spent years in court trying to hold Steward to this standard, and I’m glad that our laws will no longer be exploited in this way.”
“The bills signed by Gov. Healey today represent the Legislature’s enduring commitment to protecting patients, bringing down cost growth and to fostering greater stability and accountability within the health care system,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “Before Steward Health Care ultimately collapsed, executives spent years hiding their financial information from state regulators, putting patients and our health care system at risk. That’s why ensuring that our institutions are equipped to monitor the health care landscape, and to guard against trends and transactions that drive up costs without improving patient outcomes, is so important.”
“These laws are an important step toward transparency and accountability for our health care system, and making medications more affordable,” said Secretary Kate Walsh. “We know primary care access is a critical component of health equity, so I’m especially looking forward to the commitment of strengthening our primary care system to help more people in Massachusetts live healthy lives.”