Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Calif. Lawmaker Yanks Drug Transparency Bill, Says It Was Watered Down By Amendments
Los Angeles Times: As A Drug Pricing Transparency Bill Stumbles In Sacramento, The Battle Turns To November's Ballot
An effort to shed more light on prescription drug prices sputtered in the Legislature on Wednesday, dealing a setback to a burgeoning national movement to rein in healthcare expenses by curbing the cost of medication. The decision by state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) to yank his bill from consideration after it was watered down in an Assembly panel marks an abrupt end to what promised to be the marquee lobbying battle of the legislative session, pitting Capitol heavyweights such as labor groups and health insurers against drug manufacturers. The measure’s demise is a significant victory for pharmaceutical companies, but not a full reprieve. (Mason and Bollag, 8/17)
California Healthline: Sen. Hernandez Pulls Bill On Drug Price Transparency
After being approved by a key committee last week, a bill that would have required drug companies to justify treatment costs and price hikes was pulled by its author on Wednesday. Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) said that he introduced the bill “with the intention of shedding light on the reasons precipitating skyrocketing drug prices.” But amendments by an Assembly committee last week make it difficult to accomplish this goal, he said in a statement. “The goal was transparency, making sure drug companies played by the same rules as everyone else in the health care industry,” he said. (Ibarra, 8/17)
Stat: California Senator Withdraws Drug Price Transparency Bill
A closely watched effort in California to pass a bill that would require drug makers to explain their price hikes has been scuttled. The decision came after amendments were made during an assembly committee hearing last Friday that sources told us “effectively gutted” the legislation. The bill would have required drug makers to report any move to increase the list price of a medicine by more than 10 percent during any 12-month period. And drug makers would also have had to justify price hikes for medicines with a list price of more than $10,000 within 30 days of making such a move. (Silverman, 8/17)
In other news on drug prices —
Stat: ACLU Threatens To Sue Colorado Over Hepatitis C Drug Restrictions
In the latest dust-up over the high cost of hepatitis C drugs, the American Civil Liberties Union is threatening to sue Colorado officials if they refuse to widen access to the medications in the state Medicaid program. The saber rattling came in response to a long-standing policy by the state Medicaid program to restrict coverage only to people with the most advanced stages of liver disease, such as cirrhosis. (Silverman, 8/17)
For more news on high drug costs, check out our weekly feature, Prescription Drug Watch, which includes coverage and perspectives of the issue.
