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Take Action! Amended Drug Cost Commission Bill

March 23, 2018

Access to affordable, quality health care is something we all want for ourselves and believe every Marylander should have. To achieve this we must be ready to work together and with our state government. A critical part of this task is getting unjustified and unfair pricing and price increases of prescription drugs under control.  

House Bill 1194 has been amended to create a Drug Cost Review Commission to collect information about high drug prices and report back to the General Assembly about how to make prescription drugs more affordable in Maryland, but the bill needs approval by the Health and Government Operations  Committee in the House of Delegates. Maryland Nonprofits asks that you PLEASE ACT NOW ON THE ALERT BELOW from the Maryland Citizens Health Initiative:

Next week the Health Facilities & Pharmaceuticals Subcommittee of the House Health and Government Operations Committee will be voting on an amended version of HB 1194, the Drug Cost Commission bill.  The amendments, proposed by our lead sponsor Joseline Peña-Melnyk, would create a Drug Cost Commission to collect information about high drug prices and report back to the General Assembly about how to make prescription drugs more affordable in Maryland. 

We would have preferred to give this Commission the powers in our original bill to set the cost for Marylanders of

high cost
 drugs, but we are pleased that, if enacted, the amended bill will continue to move this issue forward and build for future General Assembly Sessions. To make that happen, we need your help!
First, please
click here to send an email to your Delegates to urge them to support the amended bill and oppose weakening changes from the drug corporations!

Second, please
check to see if your Delegates are on the Subcommittee and if so, call their office. It is especially important that members of the Subcommittee hear from their constituents!

Thank you for all that you are doing! We truly appreciate it. Together we can address high drug costs and promote quality, affordable health care for all Marylanders!