While we support the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) goal of addressing affordability of treatments, we believe that the current approach of the Board to set upper payment limits (UPLs) on the proposed drugs for review will neither benefit patient health outcomes nor result in reduced out-of-pocket costs for patients.
We voice our strong support for Rhode Island’s H 8041 (“An Act Relating to Insurance—Prescription Drug Benefits”) which stipulates that, when calculating an enrollee’s overall contribution to any out-of-pocket maximum or any cost-sharing requirement under a health plan, an insurer or pharmacy benefit manager shall include any amounts paid by the enrollee or paid on behalf of the enrollee by another person. We thank you for considering this legislation and are pleased to offer our support.
We believe Maryland policymakers should focus on those issues that directly impact patients, such as PBM regulation and reform, standard plan designs with reasonable deductibles and nominal copays, and ensuring copay assistance counts. We note that the General Assembly is currently considering HB 879, legislation that would ensure that copay assistance programs will count toward deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, and the Senate is considering SB 595.
We believe policymakers should focus on those issues that directly impact patients, such as PBM regulation and reform, standard plan designs with reasonable deductibles and nominal copays, and ensuring copay assistance counts. We realize that Illinois has taken many of these steps already, and that Illinois policymakers are advocating for change at the national level, too, but more can be done.
The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute urges all members of the House of Representatives to oppose the FY24 Labor HHS Appropriations Bill (HR 5894) due to the $767 million in cuts to HIV domestic prevention and treatment programs, massive cuts to other related programs, and the many damaging social policy riders that are directed to the communities most impacted by HIV.