Bill > S1048

This bill aims to increase transparency and control pharmaceutical drug prices by requiring drug manufacturers to report detailed cost information for critical prescription drugs identified by a commission. These critical drugs are chosen based on factors like their cost to public health programs, utilization in the state, and impact on overall healthcare cost growth. Manufacturers will need to disclose production costs, research and development expenses (including those funded by public money), marketing and advertising costs, prices charged internationally, prices to Massachusetts purchasers, and net prices to pharmacy benefit managers after rebates. The commission will then use this data to identify drugs whose prices jeopardize the state's healthcare cost benchmark and, if deemed significantly high, may set a maximum allowable price for those drugs in the Commonwealth. Additionally, the bill clarifies the definition of a "modest meal" for certain regulations related to mental health and substance abuse services, removing the department's ability to define it through regulation.