HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 112        FILED ON: 1/7/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1148

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

William J. Driscoll, Jr.

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act regarding Massachusetts drug price relief.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

William J. Driscoll, Jr.

7th Norfolk

1/7/2019

Dylan A. Fernandes

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

1/17/2019

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

1/16/2019

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

1/30/2019

Denise C. Garlick

13th Norfolk

1/29/2019

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

1/27/2019

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

2/1/2019

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

1/28/2019

Michael J. Moran

18th Suffolk

1/29/2019

Andres X. Vargas

3rd Essex

1/31/2019

Daniel J. Hunt

13th Suffolk

1/29/2019

Peter Capano

11th Essex

1/16/2019

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

1/28/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

2/3/2019

Stephan Hay

3rd Worcester

1/24/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/30/2019

Liz Miranda

5th Suffolk

1/31/2019

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

1/25/2019

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/31/2019

Carlos González

10th Hampden

1/24/2019

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

1/28/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

1/31/2019

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

2/1/2019

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

2/3/2019

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

1/31/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 112        FILED ON: 1/7/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1148

By Mr. Driscoll of Milton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1148) of William J. Driscoll, Jr. and others that the Group Insurance Commission and the Office of Medicaid be authorized to enter into agreements with manufacturer of drugs for purchase of prescribed pharmaceuticals.  Health Care Financing.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2983 OF 2017-2018.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act regarding Massachusetts drug price relief.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16Y the following section:-

Section 16Z. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, and insofar as may be permissible under federal law, neither the commonwealth, nor any state administrative agency or other state entity, including, but not limited to, the group insurance commission and the office of Medicaid shall enter into any agreement with the manufacturer of any drug for the purchase of a prescribed drug unless the net cost of the drug, inclusive of cash discounts, free goods, volume discounts, rebates, or any other discounts or credits, as determined by the group insurance commission, is the same as or less than the lowest price paid for the same drug by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

(b) The price ceiling described in subsection (a) shall apply to all programs where the commonwealth or any state administrative agency or other state entity is the ultimate payer for the drug, even if it did not purchase the drug directly. The responsible state agency shall enter into additional agreements with drug manufacturers for further price reductions so that the net cost of the drug, as determined by the group insurance commission, is the same as or less than the lowest price paid for the same drug by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

(c) All state departments, agencies and other state entities that enter into 1 or more agreements with the manufacturer of any drug for the purchase of prescribed drugs or agreement to pay directly or indirectly for prescribed drugs shall implement this section no later than July 1, 2018.

(d) Each such department agency or other state entity, may adopt administrative rules to implement this section and may seek any waivers of federal law, rule, or regulation necessary to implement this section.