MASSACHUSETTS – For state Sen. Michael Moore, the cost of health care should not be a factor in whether or not someone gets the treatment they need. It's why he was such a big supporter of An Act Relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Costs and Transparency.
"Between diabetes, you've got asthma, heart conditions. How do you price lifesaving medications out of someone's affordability?" Moore asked.
The new law will cap prescription drug copays at $25. Consumers are also not charged a copay if the medication is cheaper without using insurance.
What You Need To Know
- An Act Relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Costs and Transparency requires insurers to eliminate cost-sharing requirements for one generic drug and to cap copayments on one brand-name drug at $25 per 30-day supply for diabetes, asthma and certain heart conditions
- An Act Enhancing the Market Review Process seeks to close loopholes in the health care market regulatory process
- It also seeks to increase transparency around health care entities and their ownership, including more rigorous data-sharing requirements and expanding participation in regulatory process to non-traditional health care entities
- Gov. Maura Healey signed the bills into law Wednesday
The new law will cap prescription drug copays at $25. Consumers are also not charged a copay if the medication is cheaper without using insurance.
Gov. Maura Healey also signed An Act Enhancing the Market Review Process, which looks to improve access to primary care and close loopholes she says were exploited by Steward Health Care.
"Our canvassing team has talked to close to 15,000 people at their doors in the Nashoba Valley and Dorchester areas," said Amy Rosenthal, executive director of Healthcare for All. "People who are emotional and fearful about how they'll get care now that their local hospitals have shuttered."
"This law will subject for-profit providers to the same rules as everyone else," said Healey.
The legislation prohibits the Department of Public Health from issuing hospital licenses to hospitals or systems where the main acute care campus is on real estate investment trust-owned property. The bill will also establish a primary care task force, which will create recommendations to stabilize and strengthen the primary care system.
"Our goal is to direct more of our health care resources to primary care through both MassHealth and the private sector," said Healey. "We'll strengthen our primary care workforce of front-line providers in both hospitals and community health centers."
Moore hopes this prevents closings like Steward's from happening.
"The services that are being provided are so critical. To let this industry go unregulated and see the impact it's going to have on the people of Massachusetts, how do you not make sure that the industry is complying with basic safeguards to make sure people are going to maintain access to health care?" Moore said.