We have a very pure Nonpartisan League flavored bill coming up Wednesday at 8:00am in front of Industry Business & Labor (IBL) committee on House HB1374.  It’s a committee hearing for a plan to reduce drug prices. Open for public testimony.

We have a major problem in healthcare, exploding pharmaceutical prices.

The driver of that is the three big national pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs). They control access to the market and access to insurance and are leveraging that into big bucks.

A pharmaceutical doesn’t get on their formularies by being cost effective, instead prices get raised and larger and larger kick backs are given to the PBM’s.

Legislators can’t effectively regulate em, but ND actually has two. One in Human services, one in WSI.  The human services one does our Medicaid and saves us millions.

Representative Nelson’s proposal is to expand it.

Do Medicaid Expansion and the PERS program and then… the words that cause heartburn, private business.  Legislators can control Human Services and use it to negotiate drug prices for North Dakotans and, at least get, some kickbacks for our benefit.

Marvin’s bill,  HB1374, needs to be supported bigly, and early 8:00am Monday morning this week.

The text of the proposed bill is below.
https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/documents/19-0858-01000.pdf

If you would like the NPL to submit written testimony on your behalf to the committee members and House and Senate leadership you can timely mail it here:
nonpartisanleaguend@gmail.com