HYANNIS – Governor Charlie Baker recently joined Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to address a joint effort to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for the residents of both states.
“I think most people know, Massachusetts has the lowest rate of uninsured individuals in the country but we continue to be an expensive state when it comes to the cost of health care,” said Baker.
Baker said that the state has a history of passing bipartisan health care legislation, including 2019 legislation to help address rising costs.
Last year also saw telehealth services bolstered, a service that has been utilized more and more amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Baker said legislation was missing efforts to reduce drug costs.
“I think far too often there are very significant increases in the price of critical drugs that ultimately harm patients who rely on these treatments and increase costs to the system at large,” said Baker.
He said that Medicaid negotiations with 13 manufacturers have successfully saved $100 million in educational annual supplemental rebates, with more products in negotiations.
Current proposals before the legislature would impose penalties if drug prices increased greater than the consumer price index plus two percent.
Baker said that it would help residents plan from one year to the next and limit the growth in drug prices to a more affordable level.
“What we’ve got to do now, and where I think Massachusetts has taken the lead for some time, is to not just make healthcare more affordable but also make sure that you can afford to use it, and make sure we bring down the underlying costs of healthcare,” said Lamont.