(Photo by Angela Breck for Maryland Matters)
After failing to gain traction in previous years, legislation to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) is back in the spotlight, and once again with bipartisan support. Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, announced Thursday she will reintroduce the bill, joined by Del. Ellen Campbell, R-Rockbridge, who pledged her backing during a virtual news conference.
“Big Pharma has gotten away with charging hardworking Virginians outrageous prices just so they can stay alive,” Delaney said, emphasizing the need for action to address rising prescription drug costs.
Campbell, who has constituents struggling to afford both groceries and essential medications, said it’s time for new solutions. “I think it’s time for us to try something new, and I’ve been really happy to support this,” she said.
Although Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed similar legislation last year, support from Campbell and past co-patron Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, signals a potential turning point for the measure in the General Assembly. Advocates are hopeful that bipartisan backing could lead to the bill’s success this session.
While Delaney and Campbell champion the measure in the House, Sen. Kannan Srinivasan, D-Loudoun, has vowed to endorse it in the Senate.
If enacted, the legislation would create an independent, nonpartisan board of medical and health experts tasked with analyzing data to set payment limits on drug prices within state-sponsored health plans.
Youngkin previously described the proposal as “noble in its intent” but warned it could “limit access to treatments and hinder medical innovation.”
Delaney countered that pharmaceutical companies could fund innovation without raising drug prices by trimming costs in areas like advertising or executive salaries.
“I think all one needs to do is look at the budget for these companies,” she said. “If a big pharma company needed to cut its budget, I think they could find other sources to do that.”
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a prominent trade group, and the organization Commitment To Seniors, have both lobbied against the proposed board.
Delaney dismissed some of the opposition as “fear-mongering” and emphasized her commitment to educating the public about the bill’s potential benefits.
Advocacy groups Freedom Virginia and Virginia AARP, which have actively supported the legislation, pointed out that at least 10 other states have already implemented similar boards. Virginia AARP also highlighted findings from a 2023 survey showing that three-quarters of respondents, regardless of political affiliation, supported the creation of a PDAB.
With Virginia’s 2025 legislative session running through February, the PDAB proposal is one of several healthcare-related bills lawmakers will deliberate before potentially sending them to Youngkin’s desk.
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