THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2025 Page 7 MassFiscal slams Governor’s hidden prescription drug tax Plan will hurt consumers to pay for migrant-driven MassHealth costs T he Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance (MassFiscal) sharply criticized Governor Maura Healey’s hidden tax on prescription drugs disguised as a “pharmacy assessment,” which was inconspicuously slipped into her fi scal 2026 budget proposal. The tax, which resurrects a failed policy from two decades ago, would charge pharmacies up to $2 per prescription, with the funds funneled into the state’s struggling MassHealth program — a system increasingly burdened by costs associated with the state’s migrant crisis. “This proposal is a prescription for disaster. It’s a hidden tax that will ultimately be passed on to consumers, raising healthcare costs at a time when families, seniors, and small businesses can least aff ord it. Governor Healey is asking Massachusetts residents to foot the bill for a broken MassHealth system that is drowning in expenses, largely due to her administration’s inability to address the migrant crisis,” said MassFiscal Executive Director Paul Diego Craney. The “pharmacy assessment” — buried in Section 78 of Healey’s budget — imposes either a 6% fee on pharmacy revenues or $2 per prescription, whichever is lower. The administration claims that the tax will not impact patients directly, but MassFiscal asserted that this notion is misleading. “This is a tax, plain and simple, no matter what spin the administration puts on it. Pharmacies will have no choice but to pass these costs along to consumers. For most people in Massachusetts, this will mean higher out-of-pocket costs for essential medications,” said Craney. According to the Healey administration, the tax is expected to generate up to $145 million annually to prop up MassHealth and prevent pharmacy closures in low-income areas. However, MassFiscal noted that the governor’s approach avoids tackling the root causes of MassHealth’s unsustainable growth. “MassHealth costs are skyrocketing because of Beacon Hill’s refusal to address the infl ux of illegal and inadmissible migrants overwhelming our public programs. Rather than enacting meaningful reforms to control costs, Governor Healey is resorting to taxing prescription drugs—a move that will Come and enjoy Polymnia Choral Society’s performance of Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass” F or over 70 years, Polymnia Choral Society has been delivering great performances to acknowledge and honor the important times in our lives. On Saturday, March 8, Polymnia will continue this tradition by performing Joseph Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass,” a masterwork that will resonate through the rafters from the opening “Kyrie” to the fi nal “Amen.” Originally titled “Missa in angustiis” (Mass For Troubled Times), this choral work contains music that was written during a time of war. It expresses both the tension that existed during that time and the hope for a brighter future. This Mass is widely acknowledged as Haydn’s greatest work. Alongside this masterpiece of the classical era will be Elaine Hagenberg’s fi rst major work, Illuminare. This work is already receiving praise for its eff ectiveness and beauty. This concert will be held at the Melrose Performing Arts Center at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School (350 Lynn Fells Pkwy.). Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, $15 for students and $5 for children. To purchase tickets for this concert, visit https:// polymnia.org/about-our-upcoming-season/ or Miter Biter (479 Main St.) or call 617-633-5006. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Melrose Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. For more information about Polymnia: www.polymnia.org/about hurt Massachusetts residents while letting her administration’s fi scal mismanagement off the hook,” said Craney. This is not the fi rst time Massachusetts has attempted such a tax. A similar “pharmacy assessment” was struck down by a Superior Court judge in 2003, who called it an illegal excise tax. Then-Governor Mitt Romney later vetoed an attempt to revive it, citing its disproportionate impact on seniors and those on fi xed incomes. “Governor Healey is recycling bad policy from two decades ago. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. The people of Massachusetts deserve better than to have their healthcare costs hiked to pay for a problem the administration refuses to fi x,” closed Craney. MassFiscal advocates for fi scal responsibility, transparency and accountability in state government and increased economic opportunity for the people of our Commonwealth. If We Happen To Meet By Accident ... 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