The EACH/PIC Coalition submitted comments to the Rhode Island Senate Health and Human Services Committee opposing SB 468, which would cap reimbursement rates at the “maximum fair price” rates negotiated in the federal Medicare program.
The letter stated:
“We share with you the goals of lowering patient out-of-pocket (OOP) costs and ensuring all Rhode Islanders can access the medications they need to maintain their health. However, we believe that capping prices at negotiated Medicare payment levels is ineffective at lowering patient costs for prescription drugs and could ultimately cause more harm by creating added barriers between patients and their medically necessary treatment. Therefore, we urge you to oppose this legislation.”
“S.B. 468 effectively allows Rhode Island insurance regulators to impose the same UPLs or price controls for certain drugs by simply defaulting to the Medicare MFP. However, MFPs were determined based on costs under the Medicare program, which are not reflective of the very different and diverse patient populations served by commercial and state health plans in Rhode Island. Furthermore, applying the Medicare MFP does not guarantee patients will realize any or all of the savings from the lower list price.”