The EACH/PIC Coalition submitted written testimony to the Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee ahead of consideration of S.B. 271. The letter urged the committee to oppose or amend legislation that would establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) in Virginia.
The letter stated:
“EACH has been actively working with PDABs in multiple states and has seen firsthand the limitations of the PDAB model. Based on our experience, we believe PDABs are ineffective in identifying and solving the actual problems patients with chronic conditions face when attempting to access their medications. Furthermore, they cost states millions of dollars per year and have yet to show any savings to the state or patients (resulting in the full repeal of the New Hampshire PDAB in 2025).”
“The PDAB model provides a board of unelected officials the authority to review prescription drug costs and set UPLs for those they deem unaffordable. Contrary to the claims of PDAB supporters, UPLs do not directly lower patient OOP costs and have little impact on overall patient costs. In reality, setting UPLs for drugs might endanger patient accessibility or limit appropriate reimbursement for the physicians and pharmacists.”
“Focusing solely on the price of drugs ignores the many complicated factors that ultimately drive costs up for patients and oversimplifies a very complex process. Instead, we strongly urge the Commonwealth of Virginia to focus on patient-reported issues, including prior authorization and alternative funding programs. We urge legislators to address the causes of patient unaffordability and access challenges, especially by reforming anticompetitive PBM practices that drive up drug costs.”
“For these reasons, EACH/PIC urges your committee to forego an ineffective and expensive reform proposal and instead work with our coalition and others to pursue more productive patient-driven reforms. At a minimum, we ask the committee to delay the authority for the PDAB to set UPLs (or other artificial price caps) until the Assembly completes a study on the unintended consequences for patients (similar to the approach taken in Maine and Oregon).”