Mainers Need Fair Drug Prices Now
Americans pay more than three times as much for their prescription drugs than people from any other country and prices keep getting higher. In 2020, retail prices for 260 widely used brand name prescription drugs increased by 2.9 percent. In contrast, the general inflation rate was only 1.3 percent over the same period.
Make your voice heard here!
Many of us here in Maine know the stories of friends and family who have had to pay an arm and a leg to get the prescriptions they need. To be clear, piecemeal solutions aren’t helping Mainers who are struggling to pay for the medications they need while keeping up with their monthly bills. Mainers cannot wait any longer for relief from excessive Rx prices. That is why we’re tackling this problem head-on and getting at the root of the problem.
This week, the Maine State Legislature is considering a package of historic bills known as “Making Health Care Work for Mainers.” This legislative package would lower drug prices for Mainers and their families and protect their access to lifesaving medications:
- LD 120, “An Act to Lower Health Care Costs Through the Establishment of the Office of Affordable Health Care"
This bill would establish the independent and nonpartisan Office of Affordable Health Care within the Maine State Legislature. Finally, Maine would have an office responsible for analyzing the important data collected by the Maine Health Data Organization and the Maine Quality Forum. This data would then be used to inform recommendations on ways to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient health care to the people of Maine.
- LD 673, SP0260 “An Act to Create the Insulin Safety Net Program”
This bill will fast-track insulin to those who need it most at affordable rates. It establishes a program under the Maine Board of Pharmacy that would require insulin manufacturers to make the drug more available to pharmacies to give to eligible individuals in urgent need of insulin or who need access to an affordable insulin supply.
- LD 675, SP0262 “An Act to Protect Maine Consumers from Unsupported Price Increases on Prescription Medicines by Creating an Independent Review Process”
This bill would fine prescription drug manufacturers for increasing the price of a prescription drug sold in Maine without adequate evidence to support such price hikes.
- LD 686, SP0274 “An Act to Increase Prescription Drug Pricing Transparency”
This bill will allow the Maine Health Data Organization to publicly share information about price increases on prescription drugs sold in Maine.
- LD 1117, SP0380 “An Act to Prevent Excessive Prices for Prescription Drugs”
This bill would prohibit excessive price increases for generic and off-patent prescription drugs sold in Maine. The bill would empower Maine’s Attorney General to take specific action when drug manufacturers dramatically increase drug prices, which often takes place without explanation.
No one should have to choose between buying food and paying rent or affording their prescription drugs. This package of prescription drug reform legislation is what Mainers have been waiting for and what they deserve.
What can you do?
- Send a message right now to your State Senator by clicking here.
- Call your legislators today and tell them that we need to lower prescription drug prices now. Don’t know your legislators? Click here to look them up quickly and easily.
Feel free to send an email to the AARP Maine office if you have any questions about the bills mentioned here. Our email is me@aarp.org.