Democrats, who have been negotiating separate bills for health industry oversight and drug reform for months, resolved their differences Friday night and plan to put the bills up for a vote next week on the final day of their two-year term. announced.
Rep. John Roan of Watertown and Sen. Cindy Friedman of Arlington have endorsed these bills, S 2520/H 4910 on drug access, cost, and transparency, and H 4653/S 2881 to strengthen market review processes. ) represents Congress’s response to ongoing issues. The fallout from the Steward Healthcare bankruptcy and the ever-increasing healthcare costs faced by consumers.
“Together, these two conference committee reports will ensure lower drug costs for patients by limiting out-of-pocket costs for essential prescription drugs and promote health insurance affordability for consumers. , regulate pharmacy benefit managers and ensure increased state oversight by expanding the market to key healthcare industry stakeholders to increase transparency and better understand what is driving costs. “We aim to have a presence at the table,” they said. “We appreciate the work of conference committee members over the past several months on these very complex bills, and we look forward to presenting the conference report to all members of the House and Senate for approval before the adjournment of Congress next week. I look forward to submitting it.” ”
House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka have just two days to pass the bill in both chambers. Tuesday was the last day of the 193rd General Court session, and a new two-year legislative period begins on Wednesday, January 1st. Mr. Roan and Mr. Friedman did not provide details of the agreement or say when it would surface for a vote, but Mr. Mariano’s office made the recommendation. Delegates for a possible “fully formal” session on Tuesday.
Pharmaceutical Law (S 3012) will begin in the Senate, and a health care market oversight bill will be introduced first in the House. Meeting reports cannot be modified.
The Senate passed the prescription drug bill 39-0 in November 2023, and the House passed it 158-0 in July. The House passed the hospital oversight bill 152-1 in May, and the Senate took its own vote 38-2 in July. The branch had not reached a resolution on either bill since talks began in late July.
As the year draws to a close, state lawmakers are working toward deadlines.
Mariano, who was a key figure in health care reform during his time in Congress, said the conference report filed Friday night affirms the Legislature’s “enduring efforts” to address health care concerns of residents and the industry. He said it shows.
“These bills are the culmination of a historic legislative session that included agreements on five separate health care bills to ensure that all Massachusetts residents have access to quality, affordable health care,” he said. “This is an important step forward in our ongoing efforts to make this happen.” In a statement.
“I’m proud that the prescription drug conference report will save thousands of dollars for our residents, especially those living with chronic conditions,” Spilka said, adding that the so-called Steward Response Act is the final legislative decision on the issue. suggested that it was not.
“Furthermore, the entry of private equity into the healthcare sector has had a profound and lasting impact on the ability of healthcare providers to deliver care, and we are still working to fully understand that impact. On the other hand, it is important to continue researching their influence in the future. If steps need to be taken to further mitigate them, the Market Oversight Bill will begin to address the pernicious role of private equity and provide an important early stage to prevent new crises like the one faced by Steward. It will install guardrails,” Spilka said.
