Making Health Care Work for Maine [Updated]

[UPDATED 6-23-2021]
The Making Health Care Work for Maine, a package of bills aimed at making prescription drugs and healthcare more affordable to Mainers, passed the Maine State Legislature!.

The entire package now heads to Governor Mills’ desk. The success of Making Health Care Work for Maine marks an important moment in Maine’s efforts to rein in the high cost of prescription drugs. This is a win for every Mainer.

Read below for a brief description of each bill in Making Health Care Work for Maine and click their titles to read the official language as it appears on the governor’s desk.

• LD 120, “An Act to Lower Health Care Costs Through the Establishment of the Office of Affordable Health Care" This bill will establish the independent and nonpartisan Office of Affordable Health Care within the Maine State Legislature. Finally, Maine will have an office responsible for analyzing the important data collected by the Maine Health Data Organization and the Maine Quality Forum. This data will then be used to inform recommendations on ways to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient health care to the people of Maine.
• [Signed by Governor Mills on June 22nd, 2021 and is now Maine Law] 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 will fine prescription drug manufacturers for increasing the price of a prescription drug sold in Maine without adequate evidence to support such a price hike.
• [Signed by Governor Mills on June 22nd, 2021 and is now Maine Law] 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 the prescription drugs sold in Maine.
• LD 1117, SP0380 “An Act to Prevent Excessive Prices for Prescription Drugs” This bill will prohibit excessive price increases for generic and off-patent prescription drugs sold in Maine. The bill will empower Maine’s Attorney General to take specific action when drug manufacturers dramatically increase drug prices, which has often taken place without explanation.