Legislative Update: Week of September 30, 2019

Sep 30, 2019

LAST WEEK

On Wednesday, MassBio released its 2019 Transportation Survey, finding that 60% of respondents would change jobs for a better commute and 23% have considered moving to a different state (the full report can be found, here). Recognizing that the transportation system in Massachusetts has reached a breaking point, MassBio CEO Bob Coughlin issued a letter to the 1200+ member companies encouraging each to adopt work from home and flexible work policies to address the transportation crisis in the short-term.  

The House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing on Thursday, “Making Health Care More Affordable: Lowering Drug Prices and Increasing Transparency,” to explore the rising cost of prescription drugs in the United States and focusing on H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, released by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. During the hearing, Democratic Members, including Subcommittee Chairwoman Frederica Wilson, urged swift action on the bill, while Republican Members, including Ranking Member Tim Walberg, emphasized how the bill will threaten innovation, harming patients that lack effective treatments.

THIS WEEK

The Joint Committee on Financial Services will hear testimony on Senate Bill 611/House Bill 966 – to promote value-based insurance design in the Commonwealth – during its Tuesday hearing. Additionally, the Mass HPC Market Oversight and Transparency Committee will hold a meeting on Wednesday where it will release preliminary findings of its prescription drug coupon study.

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