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Page 6 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, DECEmbER 1, 2023 Sen. DiDomenico secures funding for diabetes medical supplies in PACT Act 3.0 bill continues Senate’s work to lower prescription drug costs, promote transparency, and increase patient access O n Nov. 15, 2023,Senator Sal DiDomenico joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to unanimously pass An Act relative to pharmaceutical access, costs and transparency – also known as the PACT Act 3.0. The legislation would make urgent and much-needed reforms to the pharmaceutical system in the state by lowering the cost of drugs at the pharmacy counter and improving oversight of the pharmaceutical industry. It also takes fi rm steps to create more equitable access to life-saving medications by providing a free, no-cost sharing option for certain drugs used to treat chronic illnesses that disproportionately affect people of color. The passage of the PACT Act. 3.0 marks the third consecutive session that the Senate has passed legislation to rein in drug costs and reform the pharmaceutical system, as drug costs have continued to climb higher with each passing year. On Nov. 20, the Massachusetts House of Representatives referred the PACT Act 3.0 to its committee on Ways and Means. DiDomenico, who is Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate, spoke on the Senate fl oor in favor of his bill amendment, which would ensure patients have access to continuous glucose monitors and supplies they need to treat diabetes. Being diabetic is expensive and if someone with diabetes is prescribed insulin, they need to buy not only their insulin, but also supplies for its use – costing sometimes hundreds to thousands of dollars a year. This amendment would ensure that we get insulin into patients’ hands and the supplies they need to take that insulin and manage their diabetes. “People across communities and backgrounds are drowning under the weight of JOHN MACKEY & ASSOCIATES ~ Attorneys at Law ~ * PERSONAL INJURY * REAL ESTATE * FAMILY LAW * PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY * LANDLORD/TENANT DISPUTES 14 Norwood Street Everett, MA 02149 Phone: (617) 387-4900 Fax: (617) 381-1755 WWW.JMACKEYLAW.COM prescription drug costs and it is incumbent on us to ensure people can access lifesaving medications,” said Senator DiDomenico. “I am proud to support this proposal that will put people fi rst and make our state more aff ordable for everyone. I want to thank Senate President Karen Spilka, Senator Cindy Friedman and my colleagues for their dedication to passing this important legislation that will help my constituents and millions of residents across the Commonwealth.” “Relief from prescription drug costs can’t wait when lives are at stake,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I look forward to this bill getting signed into law so that residents and seniors who go to the pharmacy counter will fi nally pay less for the medications they use to stay alive and maintain their quality of life. This reform is in line with the Senate’s commitment to addressing aff ordability, equity, and transparency, and maintaining the Commonwealth’s competitiveness as a place to live and work. I am extremely grateful for the diligent and tireless work of Senator Friedman and Chair Rodrigues for their leadership on this bill, and to the rest of my colleagues in the Senate for their strong support.” By connecting the need for greater drug price transparency with policies to improve oversight for the pharmaceutical industry, the PACT Act 3.0 puts the Senate at the forefront of the state’s eff orts to tackle rapidly increasing prescription drug costs. It will Senator Sal DiDomenico speaks on his Amendment. (Courtesy photo) also reduce drug costs for patients and lower health care costs overall. Lowering costs for life-saving medications Far too often, patients cannot access the medications they need due to high prescription drug prices. This legislation takes a step towards addressing this by offering immediate price relief and limiting out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs used to treat diabetes, asthma and chronic heart conditions, all of which disproportionately aff ect black and brown residents of Massachusetts. For each of the chronic conditions identifi ed, the bill requires insurers to eliminate deductibles and cost-sharing requirements for one generic drug and to cap co-payments on one brand-name drug at $25 per 30-day supply. To make sure patients pay the lowest possible cost at the pharmacy counter, the PACT Act 3.0 also ensures that a patient purchasing a prescription drug is not charged a cost-sharing amount, such as a copay, if it would be cheaper for them to purchase the drug without using their insurance. Ensuring patients can use their preferred pharmacy The PACT Act 3.0 takes signifi cant steps toward ensuring that patients can get their prescription drugs from the pharmacy that they choose. This bill will allow independent pharmacists the opportunity to become licensed to dispense specialty medications and allow any network pharmacy to contract with carriers to provide mail-order prescriptions, changing the current practice of carriers determining what pharmacies are available to patients for mail-order prescriptions. Holding drug companies accountable The PACT Act 3.0 contains enhanced accountability tools to address rising costs of medications and other barriers to care. Currently, Massachusetts cannot eff ectively identify the drugs that have burdensome costs. These cost barriers also contribute to unaddressed health issues and often worsen conditions. To combat this, the bill directs the Health Policy Commission (HPC), in consultation with stakeholders, to establish a process for identifying high drug prices that create access barriers to essential medicines that address the priority health care needs of residents of the Commonwealth. In addition, it allows the HPC to recommend pricing measures to increase patient access to necessary medications. Pharmaceutical manufacturers that fail to comply with this process will be required to pay a fee that will go into a trust fund for a new drug cost assistance program to support patients with certain chronic health conditions that disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income communities. To help control costs further, the PACT Act 3.0 requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to notify the state in advance of new drugs coming to market, and of signifi cant price increases for existing drugs. With advanced notifi - cation, the state’s MassHealth program can better prepare FUNDING | SEE PAGE 18

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