In a third attempt, advocates are pushing for the General Assembly to advance legislation that would establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). The General Assembly passed the same bill last year, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed it.
The board would be an independent body of health and medical experts who would have the ability to set upper payment limits on particular prescription drugs if they believed pharmaceutical companies were charging too much.
Eight states currently have a PDAB.
The House bill is sponsored by Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, and the Senate version is sponsored by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville.
“I want to live in a Commonwealth where people like my daughter never have to weigh the cost of buying groceries against paying for their medication,” said Delaney, whose daughter has type-1 diabetes. “It is time to prioritize Virginians’ health over pharma’s profits. It is time for Virginians to do more than just get by every day; we must ensure they can get ahead.”
The bill has bipartisan support, as Del. Ellen Campbell, R-Rockville, participated in the press conference Thursday to roll out the legislation.
“When you’re facing critical illnesses, you should not have to make those tough decisions,” Campbell said. “I think it’s time for us to try something new, and I’ve been really happy to support this legislation.”
Deeds pointed out that the bill advanced out of the General Assembly last year.
“This bill passed last year with bipartisan support,” he said. “And we have an obligation to help people afford essential medicines and to bring down the cost of these necessities.”
In his veto statement last year, Youngkin expressed a desire to lower prices but worried this bill would impact patient welfare.
“While it is imperative to lower drug prices, it must not compromise patient welfare,” Youngkin wrote. “The proposed authority granted to the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) would allow medication availability to be determined based solely on cost considerations rather than accounting for the expert opinions of healthcare professionals and the unique medical needs of individual patients. This approach could limit access to treatments and hinder medical innovation, especially for life-threatening or rare diseases.”
Rhena Hicks, the co-executive director of Freedom Virginia, who is advocating for this legislation, stated Thursday, however, that a PDAB would help Virginia fight back against corporate greed.
“Let’s ensure affordable medicine for every Virginian and make our state a leader in standing up to pharmaceutical corporations’ greed,” she said.